


True Worth

by Dreamcaster



Category: River City Girls (Video Game)
Genre: Character Study, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Happy Sex, Misako swears like it's going out of style btw, Porn With Plot, Praise Kink, Quasi-Metafiction (hopefully at least better than the game managed), Romance, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, it wasn't planned it just happened
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:28:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 22,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22217062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamcaster/pseuds/Dreamcaster
Summary: When their quest to save their boyfriends ends in the way they least expected, and a prophetic dream puts their greatest fears to light, Misako and Kyoko are forced to decide what really matters to them......and also who.
Relationships: Kyoko & Noize, Kyoko/Misako
Comments: 8
Kudos: 35





	1. Friendship Is Artistic, Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> This _River City Girls_ fanbook takes place directly after the events of the game, and uses several of its characters, even some bit players, to extended effect (including some not mentioned in the tags). It was also written before WF changed the 100% completion ending in a patch months down the line.
> 
> Knowing the game's full story is not strictly required, but if you _do_ want to recap yourself, you can do so via a [story compilation video such as this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg2l6apgC3o). (Don't worry; the runtime may seem long, but _RCG_ 's story is actually a light and breezy watch.) Or, you can just jump straight into this crazy ride head first. 
> 
> Whichever course you take, I hope you have fun!
> 
> <3  
> Dream
> 
> * * *

_—River City Elementary School #238—_  
_—Ten Years Ago—_

If there was one thing Kyoko always loved, it was the wind.

Not the harsh, blustery kind, and certainly not the kind that got in the way of her activities, blowing her papers in her face, or pushing her off-balance while she ran and played.

But the kind she felt now—gentle and caressing against her face and hair, carrying the earthy scents of suburban countryside. The kind that allowed her to visualize anything she wanted with her eyes closed—like she was right now, as she thought about what she wanted to draw… or, rather, who.

Kyoko opened her eyes with a huge smile.

It was time.

The young, red-headed, pony-tailed girl sat on a secluded rock in River City Elementary’s field, sketchbook in her lap. The sounds of her schoolmates playing in the field’s park proper were barely a buzz given her distance from them—instead, Kyoko’s companions were endless grass and trees. She looked towards the horizon, letting the spring breeze tickle her face and move through her hair once last time.

Thus emotionally refueled, she set to work.

She picked up the pencil which lay beside her, opened her sketchbook, and placed pencil to empty page. Line after line, stroke after stroke, was drawn, then erased, then drawn again, then erased again. Pink shavings and gray smudges piled onto the page as Kyoko fought her indecision… and frustration.

A dress? A smile? Neither of those things seemed to fit the character of the subject she was attempting to capture, be it the version in her mind’s eye, or the version who really existed. Even though said subject _wore_ dresses a lot of the time, her loud complaints on the matter suggested that she never seemed to _enjoy_ doing so. In the same manner, although said subject was known to smile, it was always when beating someone up. Her subject’s smiles, and the sound of cracking bone, would always be associated with each other in Kyoko’s mind—not to mention the occasional heavy smell of blood.

And yet.

Kyoko knew that her subject was also _prettiest_ when wearing both a dress and a smile.

(To say nothing of the huge hair bow she always wore. Kyoko _wished_ she could rock that look. Maybe one day. For now, though, barrettes where the best she could do.)

Kyoko decided to go for the smile, the dress, _and_ the bow, anyway. It wasn’t as if the subject would ever see these drawings—or even care to. With a happy sigh and her mind at last made up, she applied pencil to paper once more, still enjoying the warm spring breeze…

…right before her serene world was _utterly destroyed by some dumb girl yelling in her face._

* * *

“ _Hey!_ ” the new girl’s voice yelled, not one foot away from Kyoko’s ear.

The static was real, the imbalance worse than any strong wind. “Who- _whooooa!_ ” Kyoko cried, nearly falling off of her drawing rock as she landed with a painful _thud_ on her side, though fortunately just barely managing to not bang her head.

She groaned as dizziness overtook her world, swirling her vision as she tasted rock. “H-hey, yourself!” she yelled, not really knowing what or who she was yelling at, just knowing that she had to get back at _someone._ “Show some common courte… carta…” She raised her arm, pointing to the sky in defeat. “ _Be nice and have some manners!_ ”

Kyoko’s dizziness then faded enough to allow her to pick herself up, and look for the newcomer. It wasn’t long before she saw a dark-skinned, wild-haired girl looking back at her with furrowed, concerned eyes.

So, it _was_ a friend, Kyoko reasoned. Just a sometimes-inconsiderate one who also couldn’t help themselves. All-righty then. “Nozomi, that was _you_ who destroyed my ears just now? You totally scared the heck out of me!”

“Sorry about that,” Nozomi said with a shrug, and a subdued look to the side. “You, uh, didn’t notice me any other time I called. I didn’t mean to scare you, though.”

Kyoko giggled. “It’s okay,” she said, re-seating herself on the rock. She held out her hand, letting Nozomi take it, and pulling her friend up to sit beside her. She then put her sketchbook back on her lap, turned to one side away from Nozomi, and began drawing again, with just as much concentration as before.

Even if Nozomi was here, and Nozomi was friends, Kyoko’s art was just as important. Besides, she and Nozomi would have _years_ to get to know each other. Inspiration, meanwhile, was fleeting!

“Whoa, you are _super_ into this thing,” Nozomi said before long, crawling along the rock back towards Kyoko’s side. “Whatcha drawin’, anyw—”

With a disapproving noise, Kyoko gasped, pulled her sketchbook to her chest, her heart frosting over, her adrenaline spiking. She closed the book, imagining—and wishing she could somehow obtain—a huge lock on its side.

“Y-you see what it says on the cover?” Kyoko stammered. She turned the cover towards Nozomi, allowing her see that it declared, in big crayon letters, _‘KYOKO’S SECRET NOTEBOOK’_. “It means no one but me looks inside! Ever.”

“Awww, but that’s lame, though.” Nozomi huffed, poking the book with one finger. “Come on. Why’s it secret?”

Kyoko gritted her teeth and growled. Friend or not, didn’t Nozomi know… _things?_ “Duh? Because _dumb people_ will make fun of it.” Kyoko put the book down beside herself.

“I’m _not_ dumb!” Nozomi protested. “I’m your friend! And I _won’t_ make fun of it. I’d never do that.”

Kyoko stayed quiet for a long time. Again, it was true, Nozomi _was_ friends. Still… “Why would I trust you?”

“'Cause I do art too,” Nozomi continued. “I get it.”

Kyoko perked up at Nozomi’s surprise statement. The slightest of lukewarm sunbeams shone over her heart, challenging the frost. “W-w-wait… _seriously?_ ”

“Uh huh.” Nozomi nodded, thumbing toward herself with a proud smile on her face. “I do music with my guitar.”

“ _Whoa!_ ” Kyoko darted forward on all fours, getting straight into Nozomi’s face. The frost was now gone, replaced with a near-uncontrollable urge to squeal. “Like a rock star?”

Nozomi giggled. “ _Exactly_ like a rock star. I mean, my guitar’s just a mini acoustic for now, but—”

“I don’t know what that means,” Kyoko said immediately.

“It’s okay, I don’t either.” Nozomi shrugged. “But it lets me make music anywhere I carry it, instead of being tied down to one place like the big heavy piano my parents _wanted_ me to get lessons on.” She stuck out her tongue.

Kyoko laughed. “I bet! What do you play?”

Nozomi crossed her arms, her smile wider than before. “I play a _mean_ Chopsticks.”

Kyoko’s response was a silent, unblinking stare. The breeze was suddenly back.

Nozomi noticed, her face twisting. “Whaddaya want? I’m _eight._ Look, you show me what you’re drawing, and I’ll play stuff for you. I won’t make fun. I promise. I know how personal art is. I wouldn’t want anyone making fun of my music, either.” Nozomi looked away. “It’s… kind of why I don’t carry my guitar outside the house.”

“Awww, Nozomi…” The urge to squeal was back, but instead, Kyoko settled for taking hold of her friend’s hands. “You totally should, though! Especially if you’re that good at it? Be proud of who you are, and what you can do!”

“Hmmm. I’ll think about it.” She met Kyoko’s eyes with a challenging grin and glare. “If _you_ do, too.”

Kyoko mock-dramatically huffed and rolled her eyes. “Okayokay _fine_.” She picked up the sketchbook, and handed it to Nozomi, huffing out the side of her mouth. “Here.”

Nozomi picked up the book, leafing through it. “I recognize you, but who’s this other girl I see a lot of?” she asked after about a minute of perusal during which Kyoko was _totally not nervous at all_.

“Well, yeah. She’s Misako,” Kyoko said, pointing at the dark-haired, bow-and-dress-wearing girl on the page Nozomi had settled on. “She’s my best friend in the whole world who isn’t you!” Kyoko spread her arms, whirling them around herself. “She saved me from some bullies, then taught me how to be less afraid of _everything!_ And everyone.”

Kyoko brought her hands down, splaying her palms on the stone. She rocked back and forth, looking at Nozomi again, her whole body tingling with pride. “If not for her, I would have been way too afraid do things like come over to meet you, when I saw you alone at lunch.”

“Wow, I guess I owe her,” Nozomi said, before looking at several other pages. “You _really_ draw her a lot, though, wow. Does she pose for all of these?”

Kyoko shook her head. “Nope. None of 'em.”

Nozomi’s eyebrows shot up. “ _You did these without references?_ Don’t artists need, like, a ton of those?” It was then that Nozomi looked up from the sketchbook to see Kyoko with a deep tint on her cheeks.

“Yeah, about that. You…” Kyoko took a deep breath, and tried again, the breeze suddenly feeling quite thick around her. “You ever have someone who’s just on your mind a lot?”

Nozomi managed a momentary glance at Kyoko before looking away herself, barely managing to hide her own blush. “Nah. I, uh, mean, not yet. But I think it’s really cool that someone makes you that happy.”

Kyoko nodded. A lot. “She really does. She’s not the only one, though…”

Nozomi looked back at Kyoko, this time unable to hide a single thing. Fortunately for her, Kyoko was still looking at her latest half-finished sketch of Misako. “Ugh. I’ll finish this later. Come on, let’s go play on the big slide.” She closed the book.

“W-w-wait,” Nozomi said, “the big slide? A-as in, the one that’s super high so it hurts more if you fall off it?”

“Yep! Don’t worry, though, I’ll be with you. Plus I can see what Misako’s doing from there!” Grabbing Nozomi’s hand, she leapt off of the rock. “She’s been playing basketball lately, and I’m trying to figure out how to help her score more, so I gotta watch her. Come on!”

Kyoko broke into a run, meaning Nozomi could only scream and follow, lest be in danger of losing an arm. Kyoko, meanwhile, laughed as she raced to the slide.

And the breeze was light and airy against her face and hair once more. It felt wonderful. Just like having friends felt wonderful.

As her eyes turned towards the school basketball court, and she eyed the mysterious ring that Misako repeatedly tried and failed to put the ball through (complete with ultra-cute pouts and growls and foot-stomps whenever she missed), inspiration struck. Inspiration for a plan that Kyoko just _knew_ would make their friendships even closer than they already were.

Because that was the dream.

Silently, Kyoko promised herself that, no matter what, she and _all_ of her friends, and everyone she cared about, now and in the future, would be together forever.

When that happened, there’d be no reason to be anything but happy.


	2. Hot-Blooded Memories

_—River City Casino District—_   
_—Two Years Ago—_

If there was one thing Misako loved, it was being the wind.

Being invisible. Moving with unparalleled ease and flow, not so much obeying the laws of physics as sliding past them. Always striving to be swifter than any human movement could process or counter, enabling her to strike without warning—or mercy.

Misako never managed to be _quite_ as swift as the wind, but still, pushing herself as close to that ideal as possible was what provided her greatest joy in life. It was the only time her mind, body, and soul worked and played as one, with a cocksure smile on her face as she smashed the faces of her enemies.

Or anyone who got in the way of her friends, really.

She and said friends been fighting through the casino for what seemed like hours now. Misako had prepared for this going in, of course—when one storms into a gambling hall totally-not-owned-by-an-organized-crime-syndicate-really-we-promise-oh-hell-who-are-we-kidding with anything _but_ the express intent to do amicable business with said owners, one expected some resistance.

Painful, lethal resistance.

Still, whoever this “Ken” guy was, whoever he claimed to be, Kunio’s brother or no, he clearly had to be a big deal to have _this_ much muscle backing him up. Even rolling with Kunio, Kyoko, and Riki, the four of them had to crack no less than ten skulls a minute between them to keep from being completely swarmed.

A satisfying, thrusting kick from Misako into the face of another goon sent him towards a tall, suited boy with slicked hair and a perfect brawling physique. The boy, in turn, met the hapless mook with a rising uppercut. The soft, yet solid _crunch_ of knuckle impacting against teeth reverberated through the hallway. As she gazed upon Kunio’s grace, Misako once again congratulated herself on her good taste. She knew how to pick 'em: tough and carefree.

And, hopefully, sensible enough to know when to take a breather. Seeing a lull in the swarms of goons which likely wouldn’t last long, Misako ducked through a side door. Flipping the lights on, she saw that the room she found herself in was unoccupied, and that it was a bedroom besides, complete with dresser, a lamp, and one of the biggest, most spacious beds she’d ever seen in her life.

The other three poked their heads in. “Hey, lovebirds, you can take care of that later!” Riki laughed.

“I don’t know,” Kyoko said, giggling herself. “I think they might have the right idea.”

“Yeah, shut the fuck up.” Misako rolled her eyes, resisting the urge to indulge in her bubbling frustration and slap her double-dates across their cheeks hard enough to give them welts. After a few slow, deep breaths, she calmed down. “Kunio, get in here. I need a minute.”

Kunio joined Misako inside, and slid the door closed behind himself. Once she was sure they were alone, Misako leaned against a nearby wall, letting out a final therapeutic sigh.

Kunio did the same. “I expected swarms of assholes, but they really have it in for us. You okay?” he asked.

Misako nodded. “Yeah. You?”

Kunio let out a cross between a scoff and a chuckle. “I just broke out of juvie. This ain’t shit.”

Misako chuckled as well, the frustration in her chest being replaced by a soft, swelling warmth. It happened a lot around him, and she wasn’t complaining. Then she remembered why she’d asked him into this room in the first place, and things became a little less warm. Still, she would have to do this at some point or another, so it might as well be now.

“Yeah,” she said, her voice and expression sobering. “Look, about the whole Daiki thing. I know what it must have sounded like when you heard he and I were ‘together’, but it really wasn’t like that. Our school was totally in the crosshairs with you gone, so I decided to try to—”

“I don’t care anymore,” Kunio said.

Misako recoiled in surprise, along with a mild amount of relief that he’d stopped her from babbling any further. “What?”

“You say it didn’t mean anything, it didn’t mean anything. Way I figure it, you’re worth trusting.” Kunio ran a hand through his hair and huffed. “'Sides, after what we did to him, he ain’t walking any time soon.” He turned to Misako, showing teeth. “You’re a grown woman, right? You do you.”

Misako, jaw agape, tilted her head. “I’m not sure whether to kiss you or knock you the fuck out for that last part.”

Kunio snickered. “First now, second if Ken doesn’t beat you to it?”

The warmth from before was now a simmering, joyful volcano. Misako sauntered towards her boyfriend.

“Fair enough, I guess,” she said, before standing on her toes, wrapping her arms around his rock hard frame, and locking his deceptively soft lips against hers, with every bit of excitement she held in her.

Kunio wrapped his arms around her, and the world consisted only of them—the sounds of their lips and tongues parting and meeting, the heat of her heart and Kunio’s body, the satisfied moans which served as a private language that could only be understood by them and no one else, all taking place within the darkness of their closed eyes—

“Hey, you two done with the conjugal, or what?” Riki’s voice could be heard outside.

“Yeah!” Kyoko followed. “Riki-poo and I want our turn! That, or get back out here and help us beat up bad guys again!”

Kunio and Misako parted, rolling their eyes. They looked at each other, formed fists, and punched each others’ knuckles as hard as they could as they met each others’ gazes.

Neither of them flinched.

“After we’re done here, you and I are gonna date so hard, this whole city won’t know what hit it,” Kunio said.

“Fuck. Yes,” Misako said with a laugh. “Come on, let’s do this.”

Kunio opened the door, the two left the room, and the fearsome foursome continued their progress towards Ken. It wasn’t long before they were all back in the groove of smashing heads, but Misako was only half into it now, what all of the ecstatic thoughts running through her mind.

That, in itself, was a special occasion.

_Thanks for giving a shit about me, you guys. I don’t care what it takes—I’ll do everything I can to make sure it’ll always be like this._


	3. Falling Apart

_–Swaggage Gymnasium and Fitness Supplies–_  
_–Downtown River City–_  
_–Today–_

Misako looked at the heavy bag before her, eyebrows furrowed, a single bead of sweat trickling past her short dark hair, from the sheer effort she put into trying to visualize an opponent—to decide just who she should be thinking of as she let loose for her impending workout.

No one came immediately to mind.

Misako tapped the bag once with her knuckles.

_Thump._

She tapped it again, a little harder, this time with both fists.

_Thu-thump._

A deeply tanned, muscular friend peeked out from behind the bag. Yoko nodded, meeting Misako’s eyes, spurring her on with focused silence.

And Misako threw her first real punch.

_THOOM._

It landed solidly in the center of the bag, the leather giving way, slightly but tangibly, not unlike punching a large slab of steak, or a particularly pudgy nerd. It felt good. _Squishy_ good.

Misako punched the bag again with her other fist. The same satisfaction was felt, overlaying itself atop the hollow emptiness she’d harbored all day, like a candy shell.

_THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-_

Misako punched the bag again and again, harder and harder, biting into the shell. It didn’t take long for her vision to take on a crimson tint, for the teeth of her anger to slowly but surely break through that candy coating.

What use was it to be sweet on the outside, anyway? Misako never saw the point. Better to be who you _knew_ you were.

If only Misako were at all sure of who that was anymore.

Misako’s vision turned redder, and her face grew hotter, as her anger grew, allowing to focus, to become _inspired_ , until, finally, in her mind’s eye, faces appeared on the bag. The heads of two particular high school boys materialized in front of her.

Riki came first, only to have his face smashed in with a left hook. Moments later, Kunio, the so-called ‘love of her life,’ got laid the hell down with a right cross.

_Those assholes._

Misako gritted her teeth, pounding down the faces of the boys over and over again, as if the heavy bag were now a rhythm-based carnival game.

_Those fucking assholes!!_

Misako growled as she punched the boys in the face over and over, again and again—but over time, it grew old. It wasn’t the real thing, not the real satisfaction of knuckle bone against flesh and dentistry, and certainly lacking the smell of copper that came with such.

But _damn,_ did it still feel just the tiniest bit good.

The boys being assholes, as much as Misako hated it, made more than a little bit of sense. After all, they were delinquents, to the point where them getting kidnapped _barely_ made sense. Still, yeah, of course they were assholes.

But to be assholes to their girlfriends? Seriously?

_Are we their girlfriends though? Everyone says we’re not…_

And if the entire world, Kunio and Riki included, kept saying that, over and over again, if the entire world agreed on that one point save for herself and her best friend… then didn’t that mean there was something to it? After all, she and Kunio hadn’t dated. Not really—

_Yes we did! All those sports games! All our times alone together! Hello, I’m the one who got him to tone things down a bit and take up a hobby! At least, that’s what I remember…_

A lump formed in Misako’s throat. She punched the bag again, less intensely than before.

_…so why doesn’t anybody else?_

Kunio’s face faded from view. Misako wanted to scream for him to come back, if only so she could dent him some more, but she didn’t have the energy, having put so much of it into her punches already.

Which meant that she could barely react when new faces appeared.

Faces of her true enemies. Riki’s and Kunio’s visages morphed into two taunting girls Misako’s age—a short-haired blonde, and a twin-ponytailed girl with violet hair.

And the taunts hit home.

_“Don’t worry, Misako. It’ll only take one night with us to make them forget all about you.”_  
_"Just think: then,_ all _our problems will be solved!"_

Their fucking harpy laughter echoed through Misako’s mind, echoed through the gym. Misako yelled back, first just to drown them out, but soon found her body moving again, throwing brand new punches, harder and faster than before, barely feeling them, her previous fatigue now barely a memory.

A screaming, _scratching_ flurry of blows landed against the bag with enough deafening impacts in a short enough amount of time that she didn’t notice the bag’s threads coming loose. All that mattered was denting Mami and Hasebe’s smug, clean, _perfect_ faces as much as possible, and then, and _only_ then, would she taste sweet cathartic release—

Misako tensed as two hands gripped her shoulders. Instinctively, she tried to break free, but the grip was _so_ incredibly strong, and just wasn’t having it. What was holding on to her, a construction crane? She looked behind herself to see.

Marian, proprietor of Swaggage, was more built—no, _sculpted_ —than Misako could ever see herself becoming even if she trained all her life. Hell, she could probably pick Misako up with a single finger. (Misako tried not to read too much into that last thought.) Still, there was no fighting the strength of Marian’s hands. Misako calmed down, relenting from her assault.

“Mmm, yeah, that’s gonna have to be enough,” Marian said. “You’re killing my bag and your friend.”

“Huh?” Misako looked back up.

Yoko peered from behind the bag again, the latter of which now contained holes which leaked stuffing, and the former of which could only look on with a shocked stare.

“Misako…” Yoko said, her eyes and jaw wide open. “ _Dude._ ”

Misako looked away. “Sorry.”

* * *

_–Merv’s Burgers–_  
_–River City, Crosstown Area–_

With the longest and mightiest of syrupy sips, Kyoko drained her fully-topped milkshake in one breath. Slowly but surely, the pink liquid receded from the rim of the glass, to nearly the bottom. By the time Kyoko let go of the straw with a _somewhat_ satisfied sigh, only one small sip’s worth was left.

(She soldiered on, unmovingly, through the ringing pain of the brainfreeze. As far as she was concerned, she deserved it.)

Kyoko set the glass down with a distinctive _clink_ onto the table of her booth, in a specific spot adjacent to several other empty glasses. That single glass now made a perfect pyramid next to others, with her near-finished pink bubblegum milkshake leading the charge.

That made 15 shakes down, once Kyoko finished this one off. Merv’s had recently upgraded to 31 flavors, and damned if she wasn’t gonna have 'em all today. The store record would be hers.

After all, what else was going to give her life meaning these days?

Especially now knowing what she knew?

With a forlorn sigh, Kyoko picked up her glass again, barely feeling it in her fingers. She looked deep into the glass as she drained it with her straw, wondering if maybe she could see another universe through the bottom. A universe better than the one she and her best friend in _this_ universe were forced to live in.

A universe where they were _allowed_ to find love.

An air-filled slurping sound signaled her completion of the pink bubblegum shake, and in turn, she finished her pyramid arrangement of glasses. With crossed arms and a smile, she looked upon her works with a sense of achievement…

…which lasted all of fifteen seconds before she mightily despaired.

With an anguished cry, Kyoko swept the glasses to one side. Clinking and clattering echoed throughout the diner, sending the head waiter over—a lanky, brown-haired boy whom Kyoko might have found pretty cute under other circumstances _cute like her Riki augh why was her life like this—_

“Um, Miss?” Todo said, but only after Kyoko was done clutching her head and voicing her frustration to the heavens with a powerful scream.

When Kyoko stopped screaming, she looked up to see the waiter again. Good, this was good. Waiter was her source of sugar. Sugar was the only thing that made the pain in her heart just a _little_ bit less. “Shake Number 16, please. I’ll do…” Kyoko scanned the menu on the table. “The green tea this time.” She sat back in satisfaction, her heart already fluttering at the thought of the sharp, sweet flavor that would be before her in minutes.

Todo—the waiter and sugar-supplier in question—sighed. “Yeah, about that. Look, Miss, as much we here at Merv’s love money, we also look out for our customers. Mainly because, if bad things happen to them, they won’t come back here to spend more money.”

Kyoko fixed Todo with a blank stare.

“What I’m trying to say is,” Todo continued, gesturing to Kyoko’s scattered and mostly overturned empty glasses, “you’ve clearly hit your limit with these milkshakes, if not gone past—”

In a single snap maneuver too fast for anyone to see, Kyoko grabbed Todo’s wrist, subtly squeezing, until she felt the bone scraping, the shifting between her fingers, heard the happy fun cracks and splinters. With a far-too-ecstatic look of a girl teetering on the edge, she looked into Todo’s eyes as her peripheral vision slowly turned bubblegum-pink.

“Kyoko. Will tell you. When she’s had enough,” the schoolgirl intoned as she relished Todo’s terrified face. “Green. Tea. Shake. _Now._ ”

Kyoko barely noticed a new hand clasp her own, until it actually managed to pry her fingers from her death grip on Todo’s arm. Todo yanked his hand away, nursing it. Kyoko made moves to give the mother of all pouts, possibly accompanied by a knuckle sandwich, until she saw who the new hand belonged to: a brown-skinned girl her age sporting big green hair, yet who was dressed stylishly enough to be mistaken for being a few years older.

“Actually,” the newcomer said, flanked by another girl dressed in period-era goth ensemble, “I think the boy’s got a point. And believe me, that’s not normally something I say.”

Kyoko’s mouth went agape as she recognized the two. Sunrises blossomed in the back of her mind, reflecting the state of her newfound smile. “Nozomi? Hibari?”

“Holy _crap,_ ” Todo said, audibly having forgotten his pain for a moment. “Noize is in my shop? Can I have your autograph?”

“Maybe go make sure you can actually hold what you want me to sign, first,” Noize said. “Sorry about that, by the way. She’s… had a day. We’ll calm her down.”

Todo nodded and walked off towards the employees’ back room. “Nozomi?” Kyoko said. “But I thought… I thought you said…”

Noize sighed and rolled her eyes. “Had some time to think after we fought. I probably shouldn’t be here, but…” A sheepish smile materialized on her face. “I never could stop thinking about the one day in school I was ever happy. And I could barely believe you still remembered me, too. I was hoping… maybe we could give things one more shot?”

Kyoko nodded, wearing her first genuine ear-to-ear grin in hours. She could feel the tear streaks still on her face, tickling her cheeks, which meant that Noize sitting next to her and wiping her face with a soft towelette was a very welcome gesture.

“I get why you’re here, now, Nozomi. But Hibari?” Kyoko asked as the fashion diva sat across the booth from her and Noize. “What’s your story?”

“Noize and I are business associates,” Hibari said.

“Yep. How do you think I got this rockin’ style?” Noize preened. “I mean, after finding an actually _legit_ backer.”

“Yes, well, had I known you would use it for such… _garish_ causes, I might have thought twice before accepting your proposal.” Hibari’s eyes twinkled. “But the money was good.”

With a chuckle, Noize stuck out her tongue at Hibari, then turned back to Kyoko. “We can talk all about that, but Kyoko, I started looking all over for you when the word got out that two high school girls cleared a bloody path straight up Sabu’s skyscraper. I know first-hand that going anywhere near the yakuza is bad news. Like, death wish bad news. What the hell happened?”

Kyoko got ready to explain, did her best to gather the words… but found herself wrapping her arms around Noize instead.

It was a decision she was glad to have made in moments. After all those cold milkshakes, it was nice to have some warmth.

“Thanks for caring about me,” she said, as fresh tears escaped her eyes, and choked sobs did the same from her lips. “I’m glad some people still do.”

* * *

“Huh?” Yoko said, tilting her face in confusion.

“Of course we care,” Marian added. “Why _wouldn’t_ I care about my best students?” After a moment, she added, “And Kyoko.”

Misako didn’t answer, wiping her eyes as she sat on one of the gym’s benches. She blamed the stuffing still floating around in the air. That was it, of course. Stupid particles in the air stinging her eyes—the tears naturally weren’t her fault whatsoever.

“Holy shit, 'Sako,” Yoko said, running her finger over the rips in the heavy bag. "No wonder half of River City’s in traction. “I was barely able to make sure you didn’t send this thing into the wall!”

“Still out of commission either way,” Marian said. “Oh, and don’t think I didn’t see you hiding tears when you came in earlier, either.” The two sat to either side of Misako, and Marian placed her hand on Misako’s knee. “This is where we Talk™, by the way.”

“Yeah, Misako,” Yoko said, her hand resting on Misako’s other knee. “What happened?”

Misako looked at Yoko and Marian, and sighed. “I mean, you were there for the start of it.”


	4. The Wall

_–Abandoned Subway Tunnel–_  
_–Downtown River City–_  
_–Days Ago–_

Misako and Kyoko stood side-by-side in ready stance, looking at the mountain of skin, muscles, and bulging eyes in front of them. The mountain, the _man_ —who, moments ago, had introduced himself as ‘Abobo’—looked back.

Only one of the two parties could be classified as sizing the other up. For some reason, Misako was unable to shake off constant flashbacks to Misuzu, one of the biggest bruisers at school… no, there was no way. At least, she didn’t want to go too far down that train of thought.

Misako and Kyoko looked at each other and nodded, their hearts and minds as ready as their bodies.

A second later, Kyoko was out of Abobo’s field of view, and Misako was _very_ much inside it, deliberately in his face with a flurry of precision kicks. She ignored every sting of every impact, powered through the friction of air against her limbs, while remembering every bit of her training, and bringing it to bear. Shoulders, arms, stomach, knees, all targets. Wear him down, bring him low, then utterly disable him by aiming for—

Another second later, as her feet banged against Abobo’s skull with a _tangible_ sound, Misako was rethinking just how good an idea getting in this guy’s path might have been after all. She recoiled with an involuntary cry, instinctively nursing her pained right foot and hobbling away. Seriously, was that _metal?_ No, that wasn’t physically possible, but all the same, no _way_ that head was made of bone, either!

However, Misako didn’t get the chance to ponder the physiological nature of her enemy, or to mount much more than her initial resistance, because moments after her attempted retreat, Abobo charged, slamming that stupid hard skull into her guts with gusto, scattering her senses.

Damn it. Hoisted by her own strategy.

The next thing Misako knew, she felt herself being grabbed, and thrown against a nearby wall. Thanks to her training and her own body-hardening experiences knocking heads alongside Kunio, she fortunately didn’t feel any bones break as she hit the bricks back-first—but it still knocked the wind out of her, sending her into involuntary, throat-scratching coughs.

No doubt about it: this guy was a tank. Almost literally. Also, his _skin_ may as well have been lined with alloy as opposed to just his head. Just as well—she was already tasting copper on her lips.

Misako struggled to get up, but her body refused to listen. In the midst of her struggles, she felt the entire earth shake for unknown reasons, though barely felt the sting of it.

_“Misako!”_ she heard Kyoko’s voice call out, and looked up just enough to see Kyoko toting a slab of rock nearly as large as she was tall over her head. “Hang on, Misako, I’ve got this! You’re not going down on my watch!”

Through blurred and shifting vision, Misako watched Kyoko let fly with the slab… and knock Abobo to his knees with one hit. Her eyebrows shot up, amazed, and her heart filled with just the slightest bit of hope.

A hope which did _not_ last long.

“Yeah! Score! _Rawr!_ ” Kyoko whooped, rushing towards Abobo at top speed, her arm wound back.

“No…” Misako barely managed to sputter, “No, Kyoko, don’t! He’s got—”

It was second verse, same as the first. Abobo flexed and roared through Kyoko’s hits, completely unfazed. It didn’t take a grab for Kyoko to go airborne, just a single stomp—and as luck would have it, she was sent right into Misako, knocking the latter to the ground for the second time in as many minutes, and sending her world into a spiraling dizziness.

Seriously.

God _damn_ it.

Was this where it was going to end?

* * *

Abobo strode towards them, the teeth of his triumphant smile glinting in the dim light. “Well, looks like that’s that,” he uttered in a gritty baritone. “Y’all got spirit. Spirit, I like. Come back when you’ve got the muscle to back it up. Or don’t, I really don’t like beating up on wafer-chicks…”

“Come on… Kyoko…” Misako barely managed through labored breaths, as she struggled to rise, fighting through the dizziness and the shooting pains in her legs. “We gotta get up… gotta… do this… or we’ll never find Kunio and Riki!”

“Yeah… who knows how much… trouble they’re in without us?” Kyoko said, breathing just as hard, struggling just as intensely. “We’ve fought by their side before, we know how bad it gets…”

Both girls made it to their feet, balanced themselves, and focused their sights straight on Abobo as they instinctively held hands, and pointed straight at their enemy.

_“…and you’re nowhere near it!”_ they shouted in unison.

Abobo rolled his eyes. “Ugh, seriously, just give _up_ already—”

_“No way!”_

And that was all he got to hear before both girls rallied together with a stereo scream, and rushed around Abobo, dodging his powerful but slow blows, and retaliating with everything they had, aiming their strikes at any limb and joint they could find.

Twin spin kicks hit his shoulders. Twin punches hit his torso. Double the power, half the predictability. The earlier pains in Misako’s legs still existed, but were barely a memory at this point. Because Kyoko was here now, and with the two of them in total sync, they could accomplish _anything._

It wasn’t long before they’d forced Abobo to buckle. He wasn’t on his knees yet, but Misako already knew how to ensure that.

She looked to Kyoko, and winked. Kyoko smiled, winking back. The two rushed up to Abobo, and with a malevolent giggle, Kyoko bent down, aiming her fist towards a normally _very_ sensitive spot that she’d used to take down bullies in one shot before. Misako followed suit a split second later, and their punches landed straight and true to their target—

“YEOW!” Kyoko squealed, as a _clang_ reverberated throughout the cavern.

“Holy shit!” Misako screamed a moment later. That actually _was_ metal!"

“Hah!” Abobo crowed. “Yeah, people think my skull is, but, nah, I’m just naturally gifted. Fucking shit, look at me, though! You think you’re the first ones to go for a cheap shot?”

“Um…” Kyoko wavered as the two girls backed away, still nursing their hands with what little stamina they still possessed.

“Still. Man, I respected you for fighting fair, and was just gonna let you get it all out of your systems—but then you go and pull the same shit as everyone else,” Abobo said, raising his arms. “Now things just _end!_ ”

With a mighty roar, the entire tunnel shook. Large chunks of debris rained from above, barely dodgeable for Misako and Kyoko in their current state, and as their energy sapped, they knew it was only a matter of time.

_Guess this is it._ Misako sighed inwardly. _Looks like I wasn’t worth anything without Kunio after all—_

And then something that _wasn’t_ a slab of rock landed right on top of Abobo, landing a kick to his face. Abobo howled in pain, clutching his head, and covering his eyes. “Augh! Seriously, who the _fuck_ is here now?”

Misako and Kyoko turned around to see another girl and a young woman landing in front of them, whom they immediately recognized from their regular gym training.

“Yoko!” Kyoko exclaimed.

“Marian?” Misako followed. “I can’t believe it’s you!”

“That makes two of us,” Marian said, her tall, muscular figure distinct even in the low light as she helped both girls up. “For the record, it’s _incredibly stupid_ of you to be here. But we’ll talk later.” She turned around towards their just-recovering foe, the tone of her voice turning oddly jovial and familiar. “Abobo, babe! Been a while! Still holding the fantasy of having kids one day, I see. Maybe if you stopped stealing them and went for legal adoption?”

“That voice…” Abobo growled, turned around, and gritted his teeth upon seeing Marian. “I don’t care what anyone says: you _really_ should be dead.”

“And you should be in politics,” Marian retorted, hands on hips. “Or at least a school principal. Then again, maybe not? Fate has a funny way of changing us as people, wouldn’t you agree?” She punched her palm with a fist, then beckoned with one hand. “What do you say? Feel like picking on a River City girl more your size?”

Abobo shrugged. “If I gotta. Nice abs or not, this time, I’ll make sure to finish the job Black Shadow started!”

“Yoko, get those two home,” Marian said as Abobo charged towards her. “This’s been a _long_ time coming for me.”

The last things Misako felt and heard before she finally fainted was Yoko picking her up with one arm, and Abobo and Marian’s screams of battle.


	5. Cold-Blooded Nightmares

_—River City Casino District—_   
_—Two Years Ago?—_

A few more rooms and an elevator ride was all it took, before the ass-kicking foursome of Kunio, Riki, Misako and Kyoko stood before an imposing door lined with gold, and made of freshly polished wood. Idly, Misako wondered if there were any way they could strip it for cash.

She strode towards the door, her blood surging in anticipation. Whatever happened from here on out, her intuition told her that it was going to be huge. “All right, here we go. Let’s find this Ken guy, smash his face in, and get out of here so we can—”

Kunio held up his hand. “Whoa, hang on a sec. Look, are you sure you and Kyoko want to do this?”

Kyoko looked back, fixing Kunio with an indignant gaze. "Uh, _yeah_ , she said. “Why wouldn’t we?”

“Just saying… we’ve done this a bunch. We’re ready. But you… well, you might not like what you find inside,” Riki said.

“Of course we won’t!” Kyoko said. “That’s the point! We already hate Ken for what he did to you and Kunio! And we punch what we don’t like! Also, sometimes kick.”

“Yeah, really, fuck you for even _asking_ that question,” Misako said, hands on hips. “We came this far, we’re seeing this to the end with you, because that’s what girlfriends do! Well… it’s at least what your girlfriends do.”

Kunio and Riki looked at each other, then shrugged. “All right, let’s go.”

Honestly, it was all Misako could do to not get any more heated. What, did they really think she and Kyoko couldn’t handle themselves, given all they’d been through already? With a shake of her head, and a roll of her eyes, Misako opened the door…

…and on the other side, in front of a luxurious black sofa and surrounded by historical paintings, stood two girls who Misako really wished would get out of their lives already.

“Hey, Misako. Hey, Kyoko,” the blonde one said, smiling from ear to ear.

“Yeah, hi! Like, welcome to your fate, and stuff,” the twin-tailed one added, doing the same.

Misako now felt her blood bubbling for an entire different reason.

“You… don’t look like a Ken,” Kyoko said. “Neither of you—” she then gasped. “Unless you got plastic surgery, and oh my gosh that would totally explain so much—”

“No, they didn’t,” Misako said, clamping her hand over Kyoko’s mouth. “It’s just Mami and Hasebe, the walking dumpster fires. Outta the way, trash queens, we got important shit that actually matters to take care of— _whoa!_ ”

That last was courtesy of Kunio shoving Misako from behind. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Riki do the same to Kyoko. The two stumbled, off balance, then forward into Mami and Hasebe’s waiting hands, which closed around their necks. Their grips, shockingly, _fascinatingly,_ were impenetrable. Marian-grade impenetrable.

“H-hey… what the fuck gives?” Misako barely managed to utter through her fading ability to draw breath or even feel sensation.

Striding forward, Mami and Hasebe dragged Misako and Kyoko into the wall behind. Panels opened up behind said wall, and clamps protruded forth, fastening around their wrists and ankles. Misako struggled as hard as she could, but against the metal restraints she might as well have been trying to push a truck on foot.

“What the…” She craned her head to look over at her boyfriend(?). “Kunio, what the hell is going on?”

Kunio sighed and shrugged as Hasebe wrapped her arm around his shoulder. “Told you you wouldn’t like it.”

“I wished you didn’t have to find out like this, Kyoko,” Riki added as Mami embraced him from behind.

“Find about _what?_ ” Misako yelled, long since having given up struggling.

“Our real girlfriends,” both boys said, as Hasebe and Mami kissed them on the cheek in tandem.

A chill unlike any other Misako had ever experienced in her life rippled through her, as she stopped struggling entirely and stared, unmoving.

“Welcome to the real world,” Mami said, purring in triumph as she slid her fingers down Riki’s cheek.

“Yeah. You had your chance, and you blew it.” Hasebe walked her fingers along Kunio’s shoulder. “Kunio, baby, can we finally do this?”

“Yeah, ‘Riki-poo,’” Mami said, giggling towards a visibly fuming Kyoko. “Can we?”

“All right, fine,” Riki said. “They’re in our jackets.”

Mami and Hasebe opened the boys’ jackets—and it was only at that exact moment that _real_ panic finally set in for Misako, as she and Kyoko watched pistols being drawn from the boys’ pockets. She and Kyoko gave struggling one last try, for all the good it did.

Which was none whatsoever. “Kunio! You’re seriously letting this happen?” Misako yelled.

“Letting?” Mami giggled. “Misako, honey. _All of this was his idea._ ”

Kunio shrugged. “Fastest way to get rid of dead weight.”

Misako’s heart fell into her stomach, and a pile of bricks fell on top of it. “Is… is that what you think of me? Of _us?_ ”

“I could ask the same about you,” Kunio replied.

“What are you talking about? I _love_ —” Misako trailed off, looking at her current situation once more. “I… I _loved…_ ” she tried again, her voice cracking as she lost the words.

“Sayonara, suckers,” Mami said, aiming at Kyoko.

“What she said. This is how the game _really_ ends.” Hasebe looked straight into Misako’s eyes, following up with words that cut straight into Misako’s heart.

_“Enjoy being worthless.”_

Deafening gunshots in stereo were the last thing Misako heard before things went dark once more.


	6. Alone in the Dark

Misako woke up with a start, and a wide-eyed gasp.

The immediate area around her was dark, save for the moonlight coming in through the nearby window, and its reflection off of the rain falling outside. The light tapping of the raindrops themselves soothed Misako just enough for her to avoid panicking, and to fully investigate her surroundings instead.

She felt a soft surface below her, but also the hints of a hard floor as well. She was on a futon, that much was certain, but it didn’t feel quite like her futon at home—hers was nowhere near as feathery-smooth as this one. This was definitely the good, rich stuff.

Also, there was a damp cloth on her head. Curious as to why, Misako tried to sit up—but was met with gentle resistance.

“Hey, take it slow,” she heard Kyoko say in a soft voice. “You’re gonna be okay, but you really got worked over back there.” Kyoko giggled. “Well, both of us did.”

“Where…” Misako managed, trailing off as she tried to make out distinct shapes. This house was as elaborate as her futon was soft. Heck, for one thing, it was actually a _house_ , as opposed to Misako’s apartment. With her eyes now adjusted to what little light there was, she was able to make out familiar spaces, window layouts, a table and chairs, even a miniature stove in the corner.

These living quarters were large, and high-budget. And given what had happened before she found herself here, there was only one educated guess to be made as to who these quarters belonged to.

“…Yoko’s?” she finally ventured, amidst a boom of thunder.

_–Yoko’s House–_   
_–Uptown River City–_

“Bingo!” Kyoko singsonged. “She and Marian totally jumped in and stopped mean old Abobo from wrecking us! Then Yoko hauled us here.” Her fingers went to her chin as she pondered. “I’m not sure where she went after that, though? When I woke up, I saw a text from her saying she went to get some stuff for us.”

Misako took out her phone, and saw a text on her phone to the same effect. It hadn’t been sent long ago, either. She took the cloth off of her head, looking at it. No blood, at least, though she still felt a little weird. Normally she would worry about having a concussion, but meh. After the first two, one simply shrugged those off. That was how it worked, right?

“Oh, is your cloth warm now?” Kyoko picked the cloth up, felt it, then made moves to get up. “Yup, sure is! Hang on, I’ll cool it off aga—” She stopped where she was, wavered, then slumped back down to one knee.

“Kyoko!” With a gasp, Misako reached out, allowing Kyoko to fall into her arms.

“Ooooooooh,” Kyoko moaned as the two leaned against each other. “I forgot, the first time doing this for you didn’t go so hot either.”

“Ugh, you idiot,” Misako huffed, her chest tightening with worry. “This doesn’t work if you wreck _yourself_ trying to help me.”

“I know, I just wanted you to wake up…” Kyoko’s voice crept to a whisper. “I _needed_ you to wake up. I didn’t want to be alone. Not back then. Not when I was so scared.”

“Kyoko?” Misako softly whispered back, inviting Kyoko to tell more.

“I had the worst dream,” Kyoko went on. “Riki and Kunio… they hated us. Even though we’d fought alongside them so much. And then, Hasebe and Mami…”

“…turned out to be Kunio and Riki’s real boyfriends, and also shot us?” Misako finished.

Both girls stared at each other, jaws agape, as lightning flashed, and thunder boomed outside once more moments later.

“You too?” Kyoko hissed. At Misako’s nodding response, she then asked, “Do you think there’s anything to it? I mean, if we _both_ dreamed it, down to the last eww-yucky moment happening…”

“I don’t know,” Misako said, palming her forehead. Her chest churned again. “All I know is, all of River City seems to be against us getting what we want. I mean, yeah, that’s no difference from usual, but…”

Misako reached for her phone and went into her photos, bringing up several pictures of herself, Kyoko, Kunio and Riki having great times at several River City destinations. Downtown, Uptown, the mall, the docks…

Misako grimaced. Had they all been lies? Were the boys’ emotions, were all of these _pictures_ , somehow actually fake?

…or were the _events—_

Misako clutched her head, shaking it, then gritting her teeth as her heart filled with a single, solitary emotion. Dreams weren’t real—and good thing, too. She wasn’t sure how she’d take sudden news like _that_ were it to really happen.

“I’m not one for giving up,” she said, before looking up at Kyoko. The moment Misako did, her tension, her anger, dissipated, giving into a relaxed sort of fear—the kind she could sink into. “But… I also can’t do this without you, Kyoko. I already know I can’t.”

“Well, of course you won’t without me!” Kyoko pumped a fist. “I’m in this till the very end too! Nothing’s gonna stop us from getting our squeezes back—”

“N-no, I… I don’t mean the boys.” Misako hugged her knees, her voice now very quiet, barely audible through the rain. “I mean… everything.”

“Misako…” Kyoko started, but Misako didn’t stop. The fear was soothing, the sadness like a warm blanket, the powerlessness… nice to embrace for once. Who was Kyoko going to tell?

“I’ve never been able to do this without you,” Misako continued with closed eyes and a sniffle. "I mean, this goes nowhere, but life’s… kind of fucking dumb for me. I go to school, I knock heads, I get mine knocked around, I’m lucky enough to make it home so I can do it all again the next day.

“And that’s not even counting shit like this,” she stressed, gesturing around herself on the last syllable. “I don’t know if I ever would have made it without you being nice to me, taking care of me, smiling when I refused to, sitting with me during my detentions when you don’t even go to my school…”

Really, those were just fun." Kyoko giggled.

Misako chuckled. “Yeah, they were for me too.”

A long silence settled over the room before Kyoko asked Misako the correct question. “Misako… where is this coming from?”

_Enjoy being worthless._ The taunts hit as close to home as they possibly could, as Misako once again allowed them to echo through her mind. She could see the well of self-pity, she could see herself standing on its precipice. She wasn’t much for taking time to dwell on… anything, really. But what was the point of avoiding it now?

She looked at Kyoko.

There was a point. Possibly the only one. Misako clenched a fist.

“Sorry, got a little caught up in myself. Don’t worry.” Misako put on a very, _very_ wide smile. “Look, I just mean you’ve been the best friend anyone could ask for. But now you’ve followed me into… well, all of _this_. I thought about that harder than I should have, and I got scared for a little bit, but you know what? It happens. There’s no reason to—”

The train of Misako’s emotional cover-up was thus rightly jolted off its tracks when she felt another pair of lips against hers. They were… deceptively soft, given the hardiness of their owner—at least, that was her first thought upon realizing who said lips belonged to.

Kyoko’s lips refused to let go. The kiss was long, and longing, making sure Misako was completely off guard for every moment of it. Misako’s first impulse was to push away.

Her second, as she realized she hardly had the strength to, was to ask why she ever would. Why she would ever ignore Kyoko. Why she would ever deny anything Kyoko wanted, when these lips were trusting her, loving her, asking nothing more than to be with her.

At least _someone_ wanted to be.

After a very long time, Kyoko let go. She pulled back, revealing a smile, and traced a finger along Misako’s cheek. “I’ve seen that look on you before,” she said, her voice soft and concerned. “I never know what to do, when I do. But I needed to try _something_ this time.” She looked away. “Sorry. It was the first thing I thought of—”

She was interrupted by Misako’s index finger on her lips, and turned back to see Misako’s eyes gazing into hers. Misako didn’t reply, wordlessly pulling her fingers away and taking hold of Kyoko’s hands. The two sat in rain-speckled silence for a full minute before Kyoko ventured along another train of thought.

“I’m scared too,” Kyoko said. “You say you’ve only gotten this far with me by your side, but I’ve only been able to do any of this because you’ve been here with _me_.” Her face trembled and shook. “But then, when I saw you almost smashed today by that… that thing, that guy, when we almost lost each other at the bottom of some ditch no one’s heard about…!”

Misako saw tears rolling down Kyoko’s cheeks, and instantly grabbed some tissues from her backpack to wipe them.

She was nearly done when she realized that itchy trails were moving down her face as well, and her heart was wringing itself like a bath sponge. Kyoko reached for the tissues, wiping Misako’s tears in return, moving closer as she did so…

…and her lips, those beautiful trusting lips, asked for entry once more.

This time, as the moonlight shifted over both girls, Misako allowed Kyoko’s lips the privilege.

It lasted even longer than the first time. Deeper than the first time. As Misako’s tongue slipped effortlessly between Kyoko’s lips, her taste buds instantly latched onto the essence of Kyoko’s favorite bubble gum—the sugariest, sweetest, fruitiest-flavored bubble gum she would always buy at the convenience store every beginning of every week, and which Misako would always tease her about chewing.

Who knew her habit would be so appreciated? Who knew that Kyoko would taste so utterly _wonderful?_ Who knew that Kyoko’s skin, which got into as many scuffles as Misako herself, could be so soft? Who knew that the fabric of Kyoko’s uniform, as it pressed against Misako’s own, would be nearly as smooth in itself? She felt Kyoko breathing harder, heavier, heard her moan happily as their tongues slid against each other, until they both parted for air.

“Mi-… Misako…” Kyoko gasped, “I…” She trailed off, her mouth ajar, her tongue resting lazily against the inside wall of her mouth.

“Shhh,” Misako replied. All she wanted right now was to make Kyoko feel better; all she _needed_ was the same. It would allow her to be useful for once. “I’m just glad you’re still here,” she said, wrapping one arm around Kyoko’s back. “Let’s… let’s just forget everything, for now.”

_Let’s forget about my worthlessness,_ Misako didn’t add… but Kyoko nodded just the same. Nodded with the willingness Misako didn’t deserve, but which her heart practically begged for. Misako was still awake, and yet she was in a whole other place again. A whole other reality, where she _could_ pretend she was worth something to someone.

_Kyoko… you’ll never know what you’ve given me tonight. But thank you._

She kissed Kyoko’s neck, relishing Kyoko’s deep, heated breaths in her ear, before shifting directly in front of her best friend, and gently pushing back. Kyoko obliged, allowing Misako to lower her onto the futon beneath.

Flat on her back, Kyoko looked up, with wide eyes and a smile. Those eyes still held some lingering, twitching fear, but Misako could tell, they were overwhelmed by trust. Trust that Misako would stay by her. That Misako would make everything all right.

It was almost too much trust. And yet, for Misako, right now… never enough.

She _had_ to live up to it.

As her hand palmed Kyoko’s cheek in the rain-soaked, bubblegum-scented evening, Misako searched for words—any words at all. Any words, even the simplest ones which could convey how her heart was about to burst in her chest, how appreciative she was of the girl under her—but they never came. She cursed her lifetime lack of practice, as well as the irony—she was the better of the two in language class, but Kyoko’s less confrontational nature allowed her to express herself more frequently—and more naturally.

_I wish I knew how to say everything I want to you… but for now, I want to at least prove you can trust me._

Misako gave up on words. As she knelt over Kyoko’s lap, she leaned down, instead, and kissed her.

_Because I trust you, so much, too._

Their mouths opened and closed, their moans sprinkled the room. Their tongues tasted each other again, their flavors no longer new, but now familiar, as old friends now as Misako and Kyoko themselves were to each other. Misako felt fingers crawling across her back, pressing and probing, Kyoko’s hands caressing from high to low, to Misako’s hips, just under the line of her skirt, making her breath hitch.

The moment Misako lost her breath, Kyoko’s smile widened, and her eyes twinkled as she relocated one hand to Misako’s cheek. Tingles currented across Misako’s entire body on contact, from her lips to her hips to further below, dissipating from the former, building at the latter—and Misako gazed at Kyoko, doing her best to beam a single, wordless question towards her best friend.

Kyoko nodded, undoing a single button on her shirt, and relaxing with a sigh when Misako followed her lead and went for the second…

And at that moment, they jolted when they heard keys at the front door.

“ _Fucking hell,_ ” Misako whispered, as she and Kyoko rolled off of each other, scrambling to compose their attire and themselves with newfound adrenaline.

So far, this was turning out to be officially the best and worst night of Misako’s life.

* * *

The front door opened, to reveal Yoko, carrying an umbrella and some convenience store bags. “Misako? Kyoko? You awake?”

“Yeah, we’re awake,” Misako said. “Thanks for saving our hides back there.”

Yoko beamed. “No doubt. Stay here as long as you need. I bought some food for us.”

“Yay, food!” Kyoko applauded. “Thanks so much!”

“Heh. You can thank me by not dying when you go back out on your crazy rescue mission.” She put the bag on the counter. “Hang on, gotta use the bathroom, then I’ll fix up what I bought.” Yoko left for the room beyond.

Once she was out of earshot, Misako blushed, avoiding Kyoko’s eyes. “So, uh…”

Kyoko avoided looking at Misako just as intently. The shared aversion went on for nearly a full minute, until finally Misako groaned and said, “Look, whatever. Just… no one tells the boys about this.”

Kyoko made a confused noise. “Why not?”

“Are you kidding? The shit we almost did? They’d want to _watch._ ” Exactly one side of Misako’s mouth curled up into a grin as she turned to Kyoko with a wink. “And I’m a jealous bitch who doesn’t like sharing.”

With an understanding giggle, Kyoko matched Misako’s smile from the other side.


	7. Friendship Is Artistic, Part 2

_–Merv’s Burgers–_  
_–River City, Crosstown Area–_

“Uh, Earth to Kyoko? Hello in there?”

Kyoko jolted out of her flashback and into reality—or, as close to reality as a place like Merv’s could serve as. Feeling a bit of moisture dribbling from her lips, she wiped it away with a swift hand movement. “Um… yeah, so, where was I?” she said with a giggle and a sheepish hand behind her head.

“Let’s see.” Noize counted on her fingers. “You got beat up, got saved by Marian and Yoko, Yoko carried you to her house, Misako said how much she meant to you. Then you kissed a bunch—”

“And then you _spaced out_ instead of telling us anything else.” Hibari rolled her eyes. “We spent _whole minutes_ trying to bring you back. Minutes I could be using to close deals instead of doing this whole ‘friendship and support’ thing Nozomi insists on.” She huffed.

“Hibari, I promise you, it’ll help your business in the long run. Customers like _approachable people_.” Noize ran a hand through her hair. “Or at least people that they _wanna_ approach. Learning to be there for others is part of that.”

Hibari crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I am merely saying that I would like to know when the _results_ are happening.”

“We’ll talk about this later.” Noize turned back to Kyoko. “Anyway, I finally had the idea of placing a blueberry smoothie under your nose. So yeah, welcome back.” She grinned.

So _that_ was the aroma Kyoko had been smelling. And probably why she’d been drooling, as opposed to her thoughts of Misako from the other day. Yes. Definitely the blueberries, definitely _not_ anything else. “Oh, good,” she said, ignoring the latent tingles racing through her body. “Thanks for being so understanding and helpful!”

“Eh, no prob,” Noize said with a shrug. “Congrats on your new relationship, too. Though, I mean… it was really in the cards for a while, wasn’t it?”

Kyoko didn’t answer, instead looking away, and out of the window. Noize looked on, scrunching her face in thought, then turning to look across the booth. “Hey, Hibari? Can you take an order?”

Hibari’s eyes shot up. “What’s this now? Do we not have a waiter for a reason?”

“Yeah, but I’ve got…” Noize angled her gaze at Kyoko, then back at Hibari. “A _complicated_ palate when it comes to shakes. It’ll take a while for waiter-boy to concoct what I’ve got in mind.” She grabbed a napkin, and a pen from her purse, and scribbled for nearly a full minute, then took out several bills from her purse as well, handing the whole thing to Hibari. “Oh, and get something for yourself, too. Spare no expense or complexity. Let him _earn_ his tip.” She cast one more look at Kyoko, then straight into Hibari’s eyes. “No matter how long it takes.”

Hibari narrowed her eyes in response. “You really think me that dense, don’t you?”

“This is your audition for proving me wrong, honey,” Noize said with a carefree smile.

“Ugh. Make the most of your ‘time’, then. You will get no second chances.” Hibari got out of her seat with the napkin and bills and walked to the front of the diner to flag Todo down.

* * *

The stage set, Noize turned to Kyoko one more time, the latter of whom was still looking out of the window, this time with a sigh.

“Hey,” Noize said. “Whatcha thinking about?”

Kyoko didn’t reply. Noize rolled her eyes and groaned. “Okay, girl, don’t you dare do this. You don’t _get_ to look away all embarrassed. Not only is that out of character for you, but, well…” Noize’s voice lost some of its force with her final words. “When we’re together, that’s _my_ job.”

Kyoko turned back towards facing the booth table, grabbed her backpack from under it, took out her sketchbook, and put it on her table. This sketchbook contained no warning label on it; it was instead an unassuming pink cover. Kyoko opened it up, thumbing through several pages, then gave one final resigned sigh.

“Whoa!” Noize said. “Still drawing, huh?”

Kyoko nodded. “Yeah,” she said in a soft voice.

“That. Is. Awesome. Can I see?”

Kyoko hesitated.

“Kyoko, come on,” Noize said, nudging Kyoko’s chin in her direction. “Look at me. Do I have to go through the whole ‘reason why I won’t laugh’ spiel again? Cause I will if I gotta, but hearing me recite my own life story’s just boring.”

After much hesitation, Kyoko slid the notebook over to Noize, who flipped through it. Just as Kyoko’s gut told her, it wasn’t long before Noize stopped short at a single page near the back.

Both of them looked at the picture on said page for a long while, before Noize finally said, “You, uh, really should show this to her, I think. Especially given how recent the date is on it.”

“But we’re best friends,” Kyoko said, fidgeting in her seat. “I don’t want to—”

 _“What kind of fool do you take me for?”_ Hibari’s voice rang across the whole of Merv’s, startling all of its patrons and causing most to turn their heads. Kyoko and Noize blinked.

“You call this a ‘birthday cake milkshake’?” Hibari continued to protest. “There isn’t even any cake in this! It’s just frosting-flavored liquid!”

Todo looked near the end of his rope, shrinking in Hibari’s presence. “B-b-b-b-but I already spent so long researching and mixing flavor combinations according to the recipe you specified—”

“But without the _coup de grâce,_ ” Hibari finished, picking up the glass. “In other words, Merv’s prides itself on half-measures!” Hibari slammed the glass down on the table, swishing the white liquid inside around, and causing some of it to spill.

“You dishonor me, and you dishonor this establishment!” Ignoring the minor spectacle, Hibari went for the major by floating over the counter, her dress billowing of its own accord, and getting right in Todo’s face with an echoing voice. “Do you know who I am? _Do you know how many one-star reviews I can have rained down upon your very soul?_ ”

“No, _please_!” Todo whimpered. “I’m so sorry! I’ll do it right, Miss Hibari, I swear! I’ll run out and get a cake, and complete your order—”

“No you won’t,” Hibari said, examining her nails. “You will bake one. From scratch.”

With a terrified, frantic set of nods, Todo scrambled to the back room. Hibari looked over in Noize’s direction, giving a crooked smile and an obvious, face-contorting wink.

Noize smiled back, rolling her eyes and chuckling. “Guess there’s hope for anyone.” She turned back to Kyoko. “You included. I know what it’s like to not want to hose a friendship, seriously. But… you two already kissed, right? And…” she hesitated, her lips slanting, visibly searching for the right words. “Gone past that?”

“Yeah,” Kyoko nodded. “A little.”

“And you’re still friends, right?”

“Yeeeeaaaah,” Kyoko said again after a short hesitation.

“Yeah, then half that ship’s sailed then. The ‘right time’ to tell her can’t be far off. Besides, from what you’ve told me, especially now that the boyfriend’s out of play… she doesn’t have a lot of support right now.” Nozomi sighed, looking down. “I’ve known what that’s felt like for years, too.”

“Nozomi…” Kyoko trailed off.

Noize shook her head. “Look, I don’t blame you for when we were kids. Not anymore. But still, the fewer people who have to dig themselves out of an emotional rut, the better, right?”

“I guess I just never thought I’d be in this place,” Kyoko said. “I never thought Misako and I would ever kiss, or that even what little we did with each other was possible. And it happened while trying to get our _boyfriends_ back, of all people…”

Noize let out a long sigh, chuckling again. “Kyoko, I hate to be the one to break this to you—well, okay, I’m really not—but you do realize, you’re just naturally… magnetic and stuff, right?”

“I…” Kyoko blushed as she felt Noize put an arm around her shoulder.

“Take it from someone who draws tons of screaming guys and gals who want to date her to every one of her concerts: You give me a run for my money, and you always will. And since we’re so much alike, I don’t want you to make the same mistake I did for so long.”

“What do you mean?”

Noize put her hand to her heart and sighed. “I mean that, deep down, I _knew_ that you being expelled from my school wasn’t anything that was my fault, or your fault, or because you didn’t want to be around me, or whatever. But I spent so long being angry about how things _were_ , instead of trying to change them myself. Instead of crafting my own world, where I chose my own relationships. I stopped trying.” Noize shook her head. “That’s how I _really_ lost you as a friend.”

Kyoko turned around, meeting Noize’s eyes and clasping her hands. “You never did,” she whispered. Upon seeing Noize blush and look away, Kyoko laughed and said, “Heee. I guess it _is_ your job.”

“Pfft. Shut up. But also, do whatever you can to keep what and _who_ is special to you in your life. And also make sure that they’re worth it.”

With a much warmer feeling in her chest than she had when she entered the diner, Kyoko hugged Noize. “We should really exchange numbers already.”

“Heh.” Noize hugged back. “Yeah, guess we should.”

They took out their smartphones, typing in numbers. In the middle of their exchange, Hibari came back with two glasses, filled past the brim with white liquid and a huge chunk of white frosted cake.

“And here we are: two birthday milkshakes! It would appear that Merv’s hapless employees _can_ be trained.” She looked towards Noize with wide eyes. “How…” she asked, in a reserved voice, “How did Hibari do? Was she able to help?”

Noize flashed a toothy grin. “Hibari did fantastic. Kyoko’s _all_ happy now, thanks to you.”

Hibari looked between the two, completing the girls’ set of blushes before long. “Then Hibari is happy as well,” she said with a bow before sitting back down.

“Yeah? Well, Misako is about to throw up,” Misako said as she walked up to the booth, grinning and pointing at the full glasses. “What kind of milkshakes are those? They look hella gross.”

“Silence!” Hibari slammed her palms on the table. “You will _not_ insult such beautiful culinary art _mmmmph_ —”

Noize reached across the table, putting her mouth over Hibari’s. “Hey, there, girlfriend,” she said with a passing wink at Kyoko.

Misako shrugged. “Hey, Noize, Hibari. What brings ballers like you to this run down junk food shack?”

“We were actually just leaving it,” Noize replied as she and Hibari got up from the table. “Good luck, Kyoko!”

“Yes, Kyoko, the very best of luck.” With a bow, Hibari smiled at Kyoko, then looked at Misako. “Treat your friend well, or there will be no place you can run where my threads will not find you.”

Misako blinked. “Ohhhhhh-kay.”

The celebrities turned to leave.

“Weirder than usual today.” Misako scratched her head, shrugged, then sat across Kyoko in the booth, grabbing a piece of birthday cake and shoving it in her mouth. Her eyebrows raised, and she made a sound of approval. “Hey. Doing okay?”

“Yeah!” Koyko replied. “Are you?”

“Not really,” Kyoko grabbed another piece of cake. “But I wrecked a punching bag earlier, so I’m chill, at least. The rest of me will come in time.”

And then came that smile. The one that was just too bright, too cocky, even for Misako, that Kyoko had seen her put on whenever she was about face impossible odds. Kyoko fought the urge not to react.

“Meanwhile, I’ve got the best idea on how to speed that along,” Misako continued. “Wanna see what a real yakuza skyscraper looks like when you totally own the place?”

Kyoko’s eyes lit up with the intensity of a starry night sky—then she looked at the shakes again, a single question hitting her with the force of a lightning bolt:

“Wait, hang on—how did they make a birthday cake from scratch in ten minutes?”


	8. Questioning Reality (With Your Fists)

_—River City Casino District—_   
_—Sanwakai Tower (Under New Management)—_

Misako had to admit, her day was finally looking up a little.

With Sabu still in jail and his daughter in the hospital at the very least, the power structure of the River City branch of the yakuza was in disarray—in other words, it was vulnerable, especially to the people who had caused that disarray in the first place.

All this meant that, without really trying, Misako and Kyoko suddenly had their own miniature ragtag army. After all, who was going to step up to them? All they had to do was ask their friends what happened when one crossed Misako. The ones who were still able to talk, anyway.

It would probably be a bit of a problem if any real professional hitmen came to call, but otherwise, Misako was trained by the best, even if she and the best weren’t in a relationship anymore.

_Let_ someone come.

Especially after the week she’d had.

The path to Sabuko’s old chambers from the front door of Sanwakai Tower was littered with low-level criminals and workers who had survived Misako and Kyoko’s initial assault on the building. They now knew better, either staying out of their way, or sometimes actually bowing to them as they passed.

“Holy shit, I love this!” Misako said, laughing. “This place is ours, and no one can take it from us! At least, not without another army. But we’ll wreck them too.”

“Yeah!” Kyoko laughed. “Coming back to claim this place was totally one of your best ideas.”

“Heh. Wish it were mine,” Misako said as they entered the chamber. The window they’d kicked Sabuko (and themselves) out of had been repaired in a matter of days, and the upholstery replaced with clean versions. Everything was as pristine as it originally was the first time they’d climbed the tower, down to the sweet smell of incense. Misako still wanted to redecorate, though. In time.

“But you said it was your idea,” Kyoko said.

“No, I said I _had_ an idea,” Misako correction. “But I didn’t come up with the idea. It was given to me.”

Kyoko stared _through_ Misako. “I’m so very lost right now.”

Misako sat down, cross-legged, on the mat in front of the room. Kyoko did the same, across from and facing her friend.

“Short of it is, Marian and I had a long talk.”

* * *

_–Swaggage Gymnasium and Fitness Supplies–_   
_–Downtown River City–_   
_–A Couple of Hours Ago–_

Misako stood leaning on one of the corner walls, her gaze sullen and low.

In her sulking, she only looked up once, to see Yoko still trying to mend the bag that Misako had nearly destroyed. It wasn’t going well.

“Hey,” she suddenly heard a voice say. “Still mad?”

Misako nodded, knowing by now that trying to avoid Marian’s questions was just going to make her pry more. “Yeah. Okay, I mean, I’m less mad, but I’m still mad. Everything in me says that Kunio’s my boyfriend, and Riki’s Kyoko’s girlfriend. But the whole world, even those two idiots, say otherwise.” She looked up, gazing intently at Marian, as if her gym instructor’s eyes somehow held the answers to the universe. “Why? Am I losing my grip on reality or something?”

Marian leaned on the wall next to Misako, staring towards the ceiling. “Could be. You wouldn’t be the first, either.” After a short pause, she added, “Welcome to the ‘taking a bullet for someone but in the end not really’ club, by the way. I speak as its founder and president.”

Misako darted in front of Marian. “Wha… you mean, you’ve had the same memor—the same dreams as me?”

“In every way you just said.” Marian sighed. “Once upon a time, I was a much more vulnerable young woman. And one day, a gang shot me. The next day, I woke up, completely healthy with no signs that that had ever happened to me. And yet, I could swear it really happened. I could still feel the pain. I still can even now, some nights.”

Misako looked away. “Yeah. I can relate to that pretty hard.”

“After that scary experience, though, I resolved to make sure that couldn’t happen to me again. Started training, started training others. Got into trouble sometimes, but never couldn’t get out of it, either, either on my own or with help.”

Marian shrugged. “But that wouldn’t be the last time I’d run into that kind of thing. Sometimes I wake up with memories, and I don’t know where they came from. Other times I go to sleep at night, and I live an entirely different life.” She counted on her fingers. “Once I was just a straight up cop, another time a gangster—hell, there’s that one time I ended up fighting a skeleton for my life, became a demon princess, and everything was totally 80s.” With a chuckle, she looked at the ceiling and shook her head. “I kicked his ass in the end. It was fun.”

Misako simply blinked.

“I woke up from that one, too. I didn’t know what was going on, and still don’t.” Marian walked back to the heavy bag, where Yoko was putting the finishing touches on the repair stitches. “But I didn’t let any of it stop me. Not from starting a career, not from hanging with my two best bros. Sure, my life’s still dangerous, and it gives wiki editors kittens…” Marian landed a solid punch directly on the stitches, unraveling them and causing stuffing to spill—and Yoko to whine in despair. “But it’s mine.”

“What’s my life, then?” Misako asked.

Marian placed her index finger to Misako’s forehead and smiled. “That’s your homework. Decide which dreams, which memories, are worth keeping, and which always deserved to die. It’s hard. Sometimes it hurts. But your heart will thank you.”

Misako knew it wasn’t Marian’s fault, but all her heart could feel right now was a burning, acidic lack of gratitude. “Kyoko and I thought we knew that stuff. That’s what gave us the drive to keep going. To find Kunio and Riki…”

“And then pretty much your worst fear happened. Your worst fear, which you never saw coming,” Marian finished. “Been there.”

Misako sighed. “We made a mistake, didn’t we?”

Marian shrugged and chuckled. “There are worse—and better—mistakes to make than rendering an entire criminal underworld unconscious and wrecking their leader’s shit.” Marian slammed her fist into her palm. “Done that myself. Eventually. Question is, now that what’s done is done, how can you take advantage?”

Misako’s eyes went dinner-plate-wide as, for the first time since she’d punched Kunio into the next town, she realized the full ramifications of what she and Kyoko had done.

“Holy shit,” she gasped.

* * *

“So, yeah. And now, here we are,” Misako said gesturing all around their new chambers with one arm as she stood back up.

Kyoko giggled, glomping Misako from behind. “Marian really is pretty smart. Then again, she did punch a skeleton in the guts once. You think those washboard abs are actually her brain? I mean, they’re so _huge_ …”

“Grosser image than I’d like. But…” Misako sighed. “All I learned from her is that she’s got as many answers as I do. Which is to say, none. Once again, my life doesn’t mean jack shit. I can put idiots in the hospital, but where’s it ever gotten me?”

“I mean…” Kyoko shrugged. “It just got us this sweet tower and a kinda-army, sort of…”

With a groan, Misako rolled her eyes. “Don’t you get it?”

She walked over to the window, looking out across River City’s expanse. She could still see and hear students playing, gang members fighting, buses being late… this would always be her city. This would always be her life.

The worst life.

“We lost the game, Kyoko. All this time, all we went through… those bitches won. Mami and Hasebe won. Riki and Kunio are theirs, and…” Misako clenched a fist hard enough that her palm was in danger of being punctured by her nails. “They don’t even care!” Her fist uncurled. Her body slumped. “No one cares.”

“Misako…” Kyoko moved to put a reassuring hand on her again, but Misako swatted her away, whirling around to face her, yet also staring _past_ her.

“The one time… the one time I thought I was worth something to someone, to anyone, and it was all a lie. Fuck this, Kyoko. Fuck this city, fuck this life, fuck everything, _I can’t take this!_ ”

And before Misako knew what she was doing, she was running, as fast as her legs could take her, out of the room, down steps, past mooks, punching anything or anyone who got in her way, until she found the first room that looked empty, closing the door behind her.

She looked around, to see a spartanly designed, but still luxurious, bedroom—complete with dresser, a lamp, and one of the biggest, most spacious beds she’d ever seen in her life. Even the decor wasn’t too far off…

_…from my dream. The one where I learned just how nothing I am._

Why? Why now? What was real? What wasn’t? Why did she get the feeling that even if she knew the answers, it wouldn’t matter?

That _she_ wouldn’t matter…?

With the loudest scream she ever mustered in her life, she gave the wall the hardest punch she could, before slumping with her back against the wall and sliding down to sit, flipping off the light as she did so, and burying her head in her arms.

_Worthless Misako. Now and always._

It was a long time before Misako heard her own despairing sniffles. It was much less time before she decided she didn’t care who knew they belonged to her anymore.

_Kunio, you piece of shit. What have you done to me?_


	9. Friendship Is Artistic: The Last Page

As Kyoko scoured Sanwakai Tower looking for Misako, looking behind doors and desks, inside rooms, and asking the occasional hardened criminal where her friend might have gone, voices played back in her mind. Voices from her life.

_“Haha! Just because she beats people up for you, you think that makes her someone you can date?”_   
_“Nuh-uh! You don’t get it! She’s really nice! We share ice cream and like being together and—”_   
_“And you’ll understand when you get older. Trust me.”_

Dumb, poopy voices.

_“You’ll grow out of it. All girls do. It’s just practice.”_

Well-intentioned, _annoying_ dumb poopy voices that thought they knew it all.

_“I’m so glad you found a boyfriend! Even I thought you were hanging around that rough girl a little too much.”_

_Teeth-gritting_ dumb poopy voices. This was officially starting to get frustrating. Even for Kyoko. Also, her teeth were starting to ache from all the constant gritting.

“Misako! Misako, where are you?” she asked the building, her hands cupped around her mouth to let her question travel farther. It was a tactic that had yet to fail her, and she had to pull out all the stops. She really hoped Misako was okay, and hadn’t done anything drastic. She’d seen Misako do drastic things before. Usually it ended with her victims needing a lifestyle change. If they still _had_ a life at the end of it.

A desolate whimper reached Kyoko’s ears, along with sniffling. With a gasp, Kyoko ran in its direction, and slid open the door in her way, revealing a dark room.

“Misako?” she said, looking around and just vaguely seeing the outline of a girl sitting on the ground, against the wall. “Ha! There you are! Hand-mics work like a charm every time.” She grinned.

“Yeah, you found me,” Misako said, her voice watery and warbly. “Now go away.”

“But why, though?” Kyoko flipped on the lights, and Misako instantly recoiled, putting her elbow over her eyes.

“ _Ugh!_ ” Misako yelled. “I said go away! You _don’t_ wanna be around me right now.”

Kyoko sighed. Why did people always refuse the exact thing they needed? “No way, I’m not leaving you,” she said, in the lightest, most compassionate tone she was capable of. “You look and sound like someone who totally needs a friend right now. So I’m staying.”

Misako stood up, raising herself to Kyoko’s height. Her eyes were red, and her cheeks puffy, yet she still put on her angriest face. In spite of the windows being closed, Kyoko felt a frozen breeze at her back.

“I don’t _have_ friends. Not anymore,” Misako growled. “And I will wreck. Your. _Shit_. If you don’t get out of here, _now._ ”

Fine then. If Misako was going to be like this, then so be it. Kyoko’s face hardened in return as she balled her fists and placed them on her hips. “Try it.”

The instant she heard those words, Misako roared, lunging towards Kyoko with fist reared back. A straight punch flew…

…and Kyoko caught it with a single hand.

It was only then that both girls realized just how long Kyoko had been watching Misako fight. From the playground as kids to the hardened, gang-infested streets lining their faulty boyfriend rescue mission days ago, Kyoko surprised herself just as much as Misako as she blocked every punch and kick, and dodged every lunge, that her distraught bestie had on offer.

True, it helped that Misako’s emotional state rendered her strikes as wide and sloppy, full of curves and telegraphing yells, instead of the precision hits Kyoko knew she was capable of. However, they were still plentiful and fast enough that Kyoko still needed to keep on her toes, at least until Misako tired out…

…which was actually happening before her eyes. The punches came more slowly. She could see and hear Misako running out of breath and energy, while Kyoko was barely winded. It soon was far easier to avoid blows instead of blocking their impacts.

“Come… _-pant-_ … come here! Fucking bitch, fucking come over here, this is what you wanted, wasn’t it? _Why aren’t you taking it? I hate you!_ ” Misako cried, amidst wild launches of her fists that sent her sprawling back and forth, prompting Kyoko to look for an opening. “I hate you, I hate you, I _hate you_ , I—”

There it was.

Kyoko, in one swift motion, sidestepped one more lunge, grabbed Misako’s arms, and took her best friend into hers.

“Let me go!” Misako struggled, but with her clear energy advantage, Kyoko managed to hold Misako fast, until her struggles weakened, and Kyoko moved in to stroke her friend’s hair, and rest her head on Misako’s shoulder.

“It’s gonna be okay, Misako,” Kyoko said with a mother’s softness, as she already felt Misako hitch in her arms. “I’m here. And we’re together. No matter what the world throws at us, no matter what happens… I’ll always stay by your side. I promise.”

Several more shakes erupted from Misako before she finally went limp, letting out a long, pained sob. Kyoko used the opportunity to bring them both down to sitting on the floor.

And as Misako finally let her emotions out into Kyoko’s shoulder, Kyoko rocked her back and forth in her arms.

* * *

The shining orange hue of River City’s sunset greeted Misako’s eyes when she opened them again.

“Huh?” she groaned as she slowly stirred to full wakefulness, and noticed that she was still on the floor, and still wrapped in someone’s arms. “Kyoko?”

“Yep!” Kyoko’s voice responded from over Misako’s head. “Are…” She hesitated before fully asking, “Are you still mad?”

At that question, the events of the last hour hit Misako, full force, and all at once. “Holy shit!” she yelled, sitting bolt upright, and looking at her friend with a panicked expression before placing her palm on her forehead. “I-I-I’m so sorry! I… uggghhhh, _fuck me,_ seriously…”

Kyoko bit her tongue, forcing herself to not read too much into that statement. “Hey, it’s okay. We all need to vent, right?” She winked and added, “Sometimes a punching bag full of milkshakes won’t cut it.”

Misako nodded. “Yeah, you can say that aga—” she stopped. “Hang on, what?”

Kyoko’s wordless smile was as big as the room itself.

Misako rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Just…” She looked away. “Thanks for all of that… stuff, back there. You were right, I did need a friend. Also, wow, you’re actually a pretty good fighter. I mean, I always knew you were, but you matched me on everything.” She faced Kyoko again. “We should spar more.”

Kyoko squealed, fists fidgeting in front of herself. “I’d love that!”

Misako chuckled. “Yeah, me too. But I gotta ask something. Like, something I’ve been meaning to ask for a long time now, but didn’t know how.”

Kyoko tilted her head. “What’s that?”

Untangling herself from Kyoko’s arms, Misako stood up, then sat on the bed nearby, looking down at her best friend. “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you still here? Why are you with me? Why…” Misako closed her eyes, her voice slipping to an almost incoherent quietness. “Kyoko, why are we friends? I’m poor, I don’t get along with others easy, I get into fights a bunch, I’m not a nice person to introduce to your parents, or even your other friends.” Misako looked down to her knees. “I always thought having you and Kunio in my life justified me… being here. Without you two… I’m not really much to write home about. And then I found out one of you was a friendship I basically dreamed up, and…” Misako sniffled again. “I’m a mess. You shouldn’t be around me.”

Kyoko gaped. Was she really hearing this right now? Did Misako really believe all this crap she was spouting about herself?

She held in a gasp at a further realization: How long had Misako been believing it? How long had she held this all in, pretending everything was all right while secretly hating herself?

Kyoko’s mind cycled over pretty much everything she could try to do, coming up blank. She thought of her other friends, who were a lot better at the whole people thing than she knew she was…

…and her mind centered on Noize’s smiling face, along with her final words to Kyoko at Merv’s.

_“Long time ago, a wise girl once told me to be proud of who I am, and what I can do. Gonna give that advice back to her.”_

Kyoko snapped her fingers. The time was now.

“You stay here, Misako,” Kyoko said, running towards the door. “I’ll be right back.” She slid the door open, ran back out… then poked her head back in. “I mean it!”

“I ain’t going anywhere, geez!” Misako exclaimed.

Multiple flights of stairs and two elevator later rides later, Kyoko had retrieved her backpack from Sabuko’s chambers. She sat next to Misako, taking out multiple bound books and placing them beside her friend.

“What are these?” Misako asked.

“Open 'em and find out!” Kyoko said.

Misako started with the book at the top of the pile, and flipped through them, one by one. As she did so, Kyoko was reminded of her life in sketches—in more ways than one. Her earliest drawings, at least, the ones from when she started sketching during recess periods, were hard to look at now with their rough erasure smudges and incorrect anatomy—but even they could show the heart and hard work that Kyoko had put into them. Eventually, the sketches became much more visually bearable, to the point where Misako was turning the pages and going through the pile more slowly. Kyoko had to give Misako credit for going through every book—then again, given their subject matter, she couldn’t blame Misako for being curious.

Because Misako was on a _ton_ of their pages.

There were sketches of Misako kicking butt alongside Kyoko, Misako speaking out against teachers (with Kyoko hiding behind her), Misako playing sports (with Kyoko badly trying to provide team backup), Misako enjoying milkshakes (with Kyoko already having drank her own), Misako posing for a smile (with Kyoko hugging her from behind)…

They’d all been things that Misako and Kyoko had done together. “Have… h-have you just been drawing our whole _life?_ ” Misako finally half-asked, half-sputtered.

“I probably missed a year here and there,” Kyoko said as Misako reached for the sketchbook at the bottom of the pile—the latest one, that she’d shown Noize earlier that day. “But kind of, yeah. Even when I was around Riki… I think of you a lot.”

Misako thumbed through the last sketchbook’s pages, slowing near the final sheets, showing sketches of the two of them tearing through River City gang members in search of their then-boyfriends…

And finally stopping at the last. Misako stared.

The final page showed the two of them in ballroom outfits, straight out of a fairytale—Kyoko in a long blue dress, Misako in a black tuxedo.

Misako’s face went beet red as she turned to face Kyoko. Kyoko wasn’t faring much better and had someone turned the heat on to volcano levels someone _really_ needed to go check the thermostat right now.

“Heh heh, uh, didn’t expect you to make it that far,” Kyoko tittered, before slumping with a pouting huff. “I mean, look, you get dumped, sometimes your mind wanders, sometimes it remembers someone who’s never flaked out on you and who’s always been worth more to you than… like… life. You know?”

Misako stared at Kyoko wordlessly for a long, _long_ time.

“I… I’m sorry?” Kyoko squeaked, trying not to panic and totally failing. “I’ll totally erase it, I’ll _burn_ if it you want me to, I—”

“Ugh. You’re such a fucking dork,” Misako said, cutting Kyoko off with her words and a slanted grin. “But a dork with good taste.”

Kyoko half-gasped, her eyes widening into two moons. “You… you’re not mad?”

“Why would I be mad?” Misako’s blush returned. “We freaking made out a week ago. Now that I think about it, we probably _should_ start dating.”

Holy crap. Noize had been right on the money. Kyoko would have fainted if she wasn’t sure she would get another moment like this. She held Misako’s hands, doing her best not to outright scream with happiness. “We screwed up trying to save boyfriends we never had. Or once had. I still don’t entirely get it, and I don’t know why or how we got here. And it’s really easy to get caught up in regret, and sadness, 'cause we hate how things turned out, right?”

Misako snorted. Tell me about it."

“But _this_ is our reality, though!” Kyoko insisted. “Not all those other things, not those dreams, or whatever we thought we had with the guys—not if we don’t want or need them to be. And… there’s still things to like about this reality. You’re still in it. That’s awesome.”

Kyoko squeezed Misako’s hands. “And I want to share it with you. That’s all I’ve ever wanted, no matter what life brings us. The _last_ thing you are is worthless, Misako. You’re worth everything to me. And if we’re all we’ve got… if we’re all we’ll ever have… I think that’s okay.”

By now Kyoko could feel ticklish tears running down her cheeks, and see Misako’s startled reactions to them. Neither mattered. “I love you, Misako,” Kyoko said, her voice cracking. “I have ever since we first met.”

“Kyoko…”

Misako was speechless. Kyoko could tell because Misako wasn’t saying things. In fact, with her wide eyes and pressed-together lips, it looked like she had forgotten how talking worked altogether. Which was a little bit worrying. “Um… Misako?” Kyoko probed, waving her hands in front of Misako’s eyes.

And then, those eyes widened even bigger than Kyoko could ever have imagined, as she seemed to realize something. “I… Kyoko, you’re amazing. I… totally love you too.” She chuckled, her expression halfway between jovial and incredulous. “Wow, who knew? I never would have realized it if you hadn’t made me think about it. Guess I should say thanks.”

Every single part of Kyoko lit up upon hearing Misako’s words, from her face to her limbs to her chest. Without even thinking about it, she darted towards Misako, meeting her in a kiss. She felt Misako’s lips open slightly, press against hers in kind, felt Misako’s tongue part her own lips, allowing the two to play together…

…and this time, there were no interruptions.


	10. The True Power of Love

_–Swaggage Gymnasium and Fitness Supplies–_   
_–Downtown River City–_   
_–Hours Ago–_

Still leaning against the wall, a despairing Misako sighed for the… actually, she’d long forgotten how many times she’d done so.

She’d punched things. She’d talked to friends. Heaven help her, she’d actually gone out of her way to _learn_ things. But nothing was helping her feel any better.

She took out her phone. She wasn’t much for selfies, except in special occasions, and when Kyoko badgered her… which meant that pretty much every picture in her collection was either of herself and Kunio, or herself and Kyoko. A pang of annoyance hit her, and she highlighted all the selfies with Kunio in them. After a moment’s hesitation, she dragged them to the trash.

Which left only a certain type of picture left in her folder.

And Misako sighed again, for the x+1th time. (That was how that went, right? Algebra was, of course, for losers, and she’d never use it outside of class.)

As Misako stared at a picture of herself and Kyoko at an amusement park, Yoko came over. “Heh. You two look like you know how to have fun.”

“In these, yeah.” Misako locked her phone, letting it and her arm rest at her side. “I regret so much about my life, Yoko. I feel like I’ve wasted so much time. You ever feel like that? Like you’ve made all the wrong choices?”

“Can’t say all,” Yoko replied. “A lot, though.”

Misako groaned. “And what’s worse is, I’ve taken Kyoko down the same path.”

“Hmmmm.” Yoko idly curled a dumbbell in a free hand. “How do you think she feels about it?”

“I don’t know? She mostly acts like the whole thing’s fun and games. Always has.”

Yoko grabbed another dumbbell, and started doing alternating reps. “Maybe there’s something to that, then. Maybe it really is just fine.”

_“How can it be fine?”_ Misako threw up her hands. “We literally just laid waste to an entire town’s worth of people because we were so sure about something that we were totally wrong about! And for what? For ‘love’ or whatever? What kind of idiots are we?”

The sound of Yoko putting both dumbbells down on the floor echoed through the gym. “Uh, welcome to being us,” she said, with the tiniest hint of patronization laced into her voice.

“‘Us’?” Misako repeated.

Yoko shrugged. “Teenage girls, dude.” She turned to face Misako, hands on hips." And from where I’m standing, the only mistake here is that you keep thinking something’s wrong with that."

Misako crossed her arms. “Isn’t there? If it leads to this?”

“No way.” Yoko smacked her palm on the wall above Misako. “Believing the best—and worst—about people? Knowing what you want and being ultra-determined to get it? Literally believing in the power of love? Yeah, write back to me when all of that stops being awesome. By the way, if you do, I’ll tear up the letter. And burn it. Cause it’s wrong.”

Misako stared at Yoko. “You’re really into this.”

“I’m just saying, stuff happens. But the world always proves us right in the end, even if it’s not always obvious about it. Which means it’s up to us to recognize when it’s our time.”

Yoko pulled up both dumbbells again, holding them in front of herself with a grin. “And when it is, I’m gonna be ready.”

* * *

_–River City Casino District–_   
_–Sanwakai Tower–_   
_–Now–_

_“I love you, Misako.”_

Kunio had never said those words, even when they were supposedly dating. They were words she knew well, words she’d always longed for.

Hearing them uttered at last, with her name really and truly attached, felt… new. So new, as to almost feel strange. Foreign.

And like the happiest thing ever to brush against her ears.

Their kisses hadn’t lasted long before Kyoko pounced in earnest, wrapping warm arms around Misako with all of her gusto, and burying her tongue deep inside Misako’s mouth. Misako was more than used to her best (girl)friend’s impulses by now, so she’d let it all happen. Besides, given a few more minutes, she was sure she’d have worked up the courage to do the same.

By the time Kyoko gave Misako a chance to breathe and get her bearings, Misako found herself lying on the mattress under Kyoko, who knelt on all fours. With a snatch of a single hand, Kyoko undid her hair bow, sending red tresses spilling onto Misako from above.

Misako moved to push as much hair out of her way as she could—but upon feeling its softness, took some of it back in her hands, stroking it against her cheek in full view of Kyoko, relishing her newfound lover’s flattered blushes.

After a short while, the last of the loitering red hair was moved aside, leaving the way clear for Kyoko herself to lower herself over Misako, and begin whispering magical words again, over and over…

_“I love you so much…”_

And Kyoko would _keep_ whispering them while kissing Misako’s face and neck, nibbling her ears, tickling Misako everywhere she wanted to be tickled, making little breezes happen where Kyoko’s wetness made contact, sending her into a haze where the world consisted of nothing but appreciation, of gratitude, and of Kyoko’s soft, pleasuring essence.

_“So much, Misako… you make my life worth living…”_

In the back of Misako’s mind, she feared hearing such words so many times would cause them to lose meaning, but all she could feel was the swelling of her heart as she heaved below Kyoko’s body, moaning longingly for more…

…and, for the first time in days, being so, _so_ thankful for what she already had.

_I don’t have to pretend there’s a reality where someone cares about me. Where someone loves me. I was in one all along. I just never realized it._

Kyoko’s assault of kisses, licks and love continued until it became hard for either of them to gasp any deeper, and she raised herself up, sitting on her heels, reaching out her hand to pull Misako up as well.

As they sat upright, they looked at each other… and broke into uncontrollable giggles while staring into each others’ eyes, with Misako doing her best not to get lost in Kyoko’s deep pools of blue. She chastised herself for never noticing them before—their shine, their glitter, every time Kyoko tilted her head one way or another toward the light. In the end, Misako marked her negligence down to a lifetime of blackening eyes as opposed to appreciating them. Something about herself to change—maybe. When it came to people she cared about.

Now wearing her most seductive smile, Kyoko reached over, taking hold of the buttons of Misako’s blouse, and started working her magic… or, at least, tried to. Her face twisted in frustration as the buttons repeatedly slipped through her fingers, refusing to pass through their holes. “Stupid, stupid,” Kyoko growled, “stupid shit-quality-found-at-a-bus-stop shirt…”

Misako didn’t blame her. Swiping someone’s dry-cleaning at the start of the semester hadn’t exactly been her idea of fun, but it had been far more economical over paying the school’s uniform fees. “Oh, yeah, no, these things have always been bullshit.” She brought her hands up. “Lemme help—”

_“Rrrrrrrraaaaaaah!”_

The next sound heard in the room was that of Kyoko ripping Misako’s shirt in two, sending snapped buttons flying and _pling_ ing everywhere, and giving Misako’s chest sudden extra exposure.

_Now_ Misako blamed her. “Fucking hell, Kyoko! This is my only one of these!”

Kyoko’s grin went almost around her entire head. “Now you finally have an excuse to ask for a new one!”

“What the hell am I supposed to say?” Misako said, feeling herself getting heated. “‘Sorry, Mom, I had sex with my girlfriend and my uniform was a casualty, gimme money?’”

In the silence that followed after the words left Misako’s mouth, she was able to reflect on just how silly it all sounded… and looking up at Kyoko again, she remembered just how so much worse things could be, and had been not too long ago.

She broke into laughter again. Kyoko followed suit. “You know what, I should tell her that. Her reaction would be priceless just before I got disowned. But nah, I’ll just get it replaced, it was time anyway.” Her eyes glinted. “Still, though…” With one single smooth motion, Misako darted forward, grabbed Kyoko’s blouse, and ripped it open to match. More buttons _ping_ ed on the walls. “Hah! What do you know, that _was_ pretty fun.”

“Hey!” Kyoko pouted.

“What? Just say you had sex with your girlfriend.” Her eyes drawn to Kyoko’s now half-bared chest, she sauntered up with her own mischievous smile. “Also, tell 'em she was a little nicer to you about it after the whole shirt thing…” Reaching around, she worked the much-more-willing clasps of Kyoko’s pink cotton bra, freeing it in seconds, and tossing it to the side.

She heard Kyoko gasp as her breasts were given full room to breathe, and gasp again _much_ more excitedly when Misako lifted them from below with her fingers, caressing them one at a time, then flicking both soft nipples with her thumbs, before finally saying what was on her mind. “Pretty healthy over here. Never been jealous of that. Not one bit. Nope.”

Too consumed with breaths to answer, Kyoko instead moved up to undo Misako’s black bra, and after taking a single second to digest Misako’s blush, darted in, sucking on Misako’s left breast hungrily.

A loud moan escaped Misako’s mouth of its own accord, echoing through the room. “Oh god, Kyoko, what are you… oh my god…” she whispered, fluttering her eyes closed, lolling her head back, and holding Kyoko close with both hands.

“I’m bigger, you’re tastier,” Kyoko said softly.

If Misako had been heated before, she was a red-hot furnace now, with her face flushed to match, and as Kyoko tended to Misako’s right breast with the same care and love, Misako could already feel tingles spreading out across her body, her nipples peaking with each loving swish of Kyoko’s tongue, making everything feel so much more… _everything._

She was more conscious of everything Kyoko did, everything Kyoko smelled like—sweat and milkshakes, giggles and happiness. She heard every breath, felt every brush of skin that was silken even in the faces of the bandages scattered across it. Every single one of these things made Misako want the beautiful girl tending her to keep doing so, forever.

But—as if hearing Misako’s thoughts—with a loud _smack_ and a giggling gasp for breath, Kyoko chose that moment to let go of Misako’s breasts altogether. Misako moaned in equal parts arousal and disappointment, but Kyoko simply kept her smile, and nudged Misako onto her back… and Misako sucked in her breath as Kyoko unfastened Misako’s shorts and pulled them off, followed by her own dress.

Panties met panties as Kyoko got back on all fours, then slowly lay herself on top of Misako, smiling down at her as Misako smiled up. A quick pull of silk sheets and the fluffy, expensive comforter over the two of them transported Misako to the happiest warmest, softest world she’d been to in literal years.

Kyoko was clearly thinking the same thing. “Our first sleepover in a while, huh?”

“Y-yeah,” Misako said, very conscious of Kyoko’s body moving subtly back and forth against her as the two settled, sapping her of her concentration by the second and replacing it with pure, fluid, desire.

Damn it. Was Kyoko doing this on purpose? Or was she just that excited? Going by her breathy moans, Misako figured a little of both. She probably wanted to stop about as much as Misako wanted her to stop, but all the same, on top of the warmth around her, it was driving Misako crazy already.

“Wanna know a secret?” Kyoko asked.

“Wha…” Misako bit her lip. “What is it?”

Kyoko whispered in Misako’s ear. “Even way back when, I had so many dreams… that we’d have a sleepover that ended just like this. Just you and me, together.”

Misako raised her eyebrows. “Really?”

Kyoko beamed. “Really really. Thank you for making them come true.”

“S-sure…” Misako said, wide-eyed and breathing deeply. “No problem…”

The undersides of Kyoko’s eyes glistened, prompting Misako to happily accept Kyoko’s next kiss and okay Kyoko was now _definitely_ grinding her hips against Misako on purpose there was no _way_ she wasn’t aware of this. Especially not with the moans Misako could hear from Kyoko under her breath.

The kiss broke, and she could hear Kyoko’s breaths become slower and longer, see Kyoko’s face overcome with emotion as Kyoko moved a little faster, not too much so, but just enough for Misako to notice. “So,” Kyoko said, “do remember the one time I was over at your house and we ran out of gummies and we had to—”

That was it.

Through her own hard breathing, with a smiling but still flushed and “stern” expression, Misako lay down the law. “Kyoko, I get that this is a huge and really special thing for you, and I’m happy for you. And I love you too, I promise—but if you don’t quit with the teasing and _fuck_ me already, you’re only going to have _pieces_ of a nose left.”

Kyoko’s smile took on a slyness Misako didn’t normally see. “Awwwww. You figured me out,” she singonged.

“Wasn’t hard,” Misako said, with a chuckling eyeroll. “More wet than anything, really…”

“Wasn’t sure if that was more you or me,” Kyoko breathed—then, after a pause, added, “Gummies later, though? Please?”

Misako’s hands slid down Kyoko’s back until they reached her butt, and clamped both globes greedily. “If you’re good,” she said with a squeeze.

A high-pitched moan was Kyoko’s only reply as she wrapped her arms around Misako, happily leant down to kiss her one more time…

…and began moving in earnest. Her hips, her breasts, her lips, slid against Misako’s in unison in a body to body grind, which only served to make Misako wetter than she already was. Misako could only grind back as best she could, in the form of bodily twists and undulations, each one prompted, _jolted,_ by every action Kyoko took, made more intense with every one of Kyoko’s thrusts.

It wasn’t long before Kyoko became Misako’s entire world again, her scent growing more intense with every movement, her light, lilting voice echoing through her ears and through her mind, taking every moment she could to tell Misako how much she loved her, how much Misako was actually worth to those who truly valued and cherished her.

_“We don’t need the boys…”_ Kyoko whispered amidst her motions. _“We have each other. I’ll never leave you, Misako… mmm… oh, Misako…”_

Through the sliding of smooth sheets and soft squelches, Misako heard Kyoko chanting her name in hushed tones—just barely, of course, as Misako was nowhere hear as subtle. “Kyo—… Kyoko, god damn it, _shit_ …” she panted, holding her lover close and tightly with both arms, as if doing so could somehow stop the flow of prickling, tingling sensations which threatened to cause her to lose control of her body altogether the more they built.

On a random curiosity she licked Kyoko’s neck, tasting her girlfriend’s sweet and sour softness, making Kyoko moan in the process. With a smile, she licked Kyoko’s neck even more, slipping in a nibble every so often, eliciting groans and purrs of aroused approval… and feeling Kyoko move against her faster, back and forth, forth and backward, faster, almost too fast, in a rising, grinding heat…

“Oh my god oh my _god_ Kyoko keep doing that,” Misako shakily uttered through gritted teeth, her world now far less a luxurious bedroom and more a rollercoaster she could barely hang on to. "Holy shit, Kyoko, I love you, I _fucking love you…!"_

She could feel the ride reaching its peak as Kyoko continued moving against her, and Misako prepared herself for ecstatic, wonderful release—the kind she’d been waiting for all her life, with the right person, the person who had always been under her nose, who knew exactly what she loved, what she needed, she was so close—

The ride stopped entirely.

_Wait, what? What the hell?_

_Kyoko_ stopped entirely, rolling off of Misako and pulling herself to a sitting position. Misako’s brain exploded into angry, frustrated, _unsatisfied_ emotions, with the intensity of a fireworks show. _No, no, nonononononononononono—_

It was all Misako could do to speak, much less make good on her earlier threat. Her voice cracked in the midst of her protests, her eyes shining, her vision sloshing, she wasn’t crying, dammit, she wasn’t crying, except she _totally was._ “Kyoko dammit fucking _shit stop fucking around and come back here—_ ”

She was cut off by Kyoko putting her index finger to Misako’s lips. “Trust me,” Kyoko said, her voice nothing but tenderness, her face looking just as flushed and crimson as Misako felt her own to be. “Please?”

Her thighs trembling, her heart shuddering, the world shifting between winter and summer repeatedly and uncontrollably… Misako somehow found the strength to nod. It was absolutely all she could do, in lieu of being able to finish herself off on her own. Honestly, how had Kyoko known to leave her so teetering on the edge that she could hardly move? Who had been coaching her on technique?

Kyoko beamed, leaning over and giving Misako’s forehead a mother’s kiss. “I love you,” she whispered.

The next things Misako saw and felt were Kyoko sliding down, trailing fingers southward… and after that, her long-since-utterly-soaked panties being pulled off. Weathering the shivers from the sudden draft, she felt Kyoko clamp hands over both her thighs, spreading them apart—giving Kyoko, Misako learned only moments later, ample room to work. A light, happy tune, almost a lullaby, echoed through the room. She soon heard it get louder, closing in—

Just before she cried out, and her hips involuntary jutted upward, upon feeling Kyoko give her a kiss below, just as deep and playful as her earlier kisses above. When Misako’s hips came down, they met an unexpected softness—and Misako looked down to see that, with a speed she didn’t know was possible, Kyoko had placed a pillow for her landing—and to prop Misako up for better access.

Her tongue parted Misako’s folds, her lips brushed against Misako’s clit, and once Kyoko’s tongue started probing, swirling and massaging inside her, outside her, Misako understood, amidst feverish sweating, what Kyoko had had in mind this entire time.

She’d already been hot and bothered before—but now, with Kyoko lapping at her vulva like a hungry kitten, twirling her tongue around Misako’s inner thighs, tickling against her hair… suddenly, there was no more threat of her body losing control.

Because it had already happened. Misako’s fists clutched the bedsheets tightly as she came, the joyous heat washing over her in waves, moaning to the ceiling in long in long-overdue gratitude. After the release came afterglow, inching to overtake her, and she welcomed it…

…except… she wasn’t being allowed to relax. The tingles persisted, across her arms, her legs, her hips, they didn’t stop, and through the sensations, she could feel, even without looking down, that everything that Kyoko had been doing to her… was _still_ being done to her.

Which was when she heard one of Kyoko’s trademark mischievous giggles.

_Wait, hang on, she’s still—_

The pleasure, the joy, the paralyzing, _dripping_ electricity, started to build again as Kyoko continued licking for all she was worth, but this time changing her technique yet again. Her tongue licked incessantly, with no set rhythm, no tempo, caressing Misako with wild abandon, forcing Misako to clamp her shaking legs tightly, trapping Kyoko’s head between them.

And still Kyoko continued, undaunted. Licking and smacking sounds intermingled with Misako’s groans, with her not even being able to form words or swears anymore.

Eventually, Kyoko clearly decided she’d gotten tired of being inside Misako, and departed, moving only slightly north, closing her lips on Misako’s clit, and giving it the most affectionate of French kisses.

Misako came _again_ in mere moments, her back arching with her cries, sharp sensations spiking across her body, each one a spark of passion she wouldn’t give up for anything, but at the same time could barely handle. _Oh my… oh my god, okay, I get it, Kyoko, I’ll never doubt you again…_

But Kyoko was still humming. And her tongue was still working everywhere it could. _Wait a second… no, wait, Kyoko, seriously—_

Misako’s legs had gone limp by this point, allowing Kyoko to pull them apart again with far more ease than before. Misako felt it, of course, but couldn’t do anything about it, nor could she do anything about two of Kyoko’s fingers entering her, filling her far more than Kyoko’s tongue ever could, and forcing Misako to let out her longest gasp of the night.

Kyoko let her fingers stay a while, feeling Misako’s insides greet their visitors, squeezing wetly around Kyoko’s digits, Misako herself squirming and spasming as Kyoko’s tongue got back to work, wiggling outside and around her fingers—which, after a short time, Kyoko removed, before plunging them in again, pistoning in and out, back and forth, moving with ease inside Misako’s drenched vagina.

_Wait, no, Kyoko, this is… this is too much…!_

Smacking sounds filled the room as Kyoko’s fingers continued their filling—and refilling—adventure inside Misako, and her tongue lapped away at Misako’s clit… then, after a short while, she reached up, giving Misako’s left breast a squeeze with her free hand, fondling and flicking just like before, making sure none of Misako’s sensitivities were left neglected.

All Misako could do in reply was writhe weakly, now reminded just how warmly her nipples ached on top of every inch of her body having surrendered to yearning long ago. Her forceful demeanor had long since fled, replaced with whimpering, submissive babbles that Misako tried to form into words but couldn’t.

_I’m sorry Kyoko I’m sorry I didn’t trust you I believe in you I always have I love you toooooo…!_

Misako howled as her third orgasm of the night wracked her, destroying what little energy she had left. “No… no more,” she breathed afterwards. “Seriously, I can’t… _-gasp-_ …can’t—”

“Are you sure?” Kyoko asked, finally raising herself up from Misako’s thighs to reveal a smile that had lost none of its mischief. “Did I do good?”

“Yeah. Fuck, yeah, you did. Too good. Can’t…” Misako struggled to form complete sentences amidst her desperate gasps of recovery. “Damn it.”

“Yay,” Kyoko squealed, and crawled back up to lay next to Misako. “I was worried, 'cause I know you don’t have a lot of patience for stuff—but I really really _really_ wanted to make you happy, you know?” She wrapped Misako in an outright cuddle. “You deserve the best, always.”

Ugh, it was impossible to stay mad at Kyoko. Instead, Misako rolled her eyes, made a fist, and playfully booped it against Kyoko’s nose. “That’s still for teasing me.”

“Awwww! I just can’t win with you.” Kyoko snuggled against her partner. “Or maybe we totally can’t lose when we’re together.”

“Yeah, that sounds more like it.” With the last of her energy, fighting through her afterglow for a cause she knew to be just, Misako snuck one hand under the sheets as far as she could go, finding Kyoko’s wet panties, and slipping inside. Moments later, Misako saw what she was hoping for: her girlfriend biting her lip as they stared deep into each others’ eyes… before Kyoko’s fluttered, and she shivered.

As she watched her girlfriend wriggle like a puppet under her moving hand, Misako smiled. “And this is for making teasing me worth it.”


	11. Warm-Blooded Retcons

_—River City Casino District—_   
_—Date: Unknown—_

Misako opened her eyes.

Through blurry, still-clearing vision, she could see Kyoko close by, and also hear her groaning slowly to wakefulness.

Misako tried to move. She could not. She was restrained—no, _still_ restrained, to a very familiar wall. A pang lanced her heart as she realized just where she was, what was going on…

…and who else was still in this damnable room along with her.

Hasebe, Mami, Kunio and Riki were back in front of them a short distance away, with the girls of that quartet holding smoking pistols. Which meant that Mami and Hasebe had already shot her and Kyoko.

She and Kyoko should be dead. Not that she wanted that, but guns had a pretty good kill rate.

So why weren’t they? Why wasn’t there even any pain?

Mami was the first to notice that something was amiss, gaping and pointing and in all sorts of ways acting _very_ out of her usual cool and collected character. “Hoooooly _shit you guys_ they’re not dead they’re not dead Hasebe Kunio Riki why aren’t they deeeeeaaaaaad?”

Misako couldn’t even blame her. If she’d had the room to freak out too, she would have.

“Pfft. Clearly, you missed,” said Hasebe with a toss of her hair.

“Yeah? Guess what? You did too!” Mami said, pointing to Kyoko.

Hasebe blinked several times. “…okay, in our defense, we’ve never fired guns before.”

“Ugh, what _ever_ ,” Mami said, and in unison, the two girls aimed at Misako and Kyoko again, pulling the trigger multiple times. They were met with multiple empty clicks. With gritted teeth, they turned to the boys.

 _“What idiot only puts one bullet in a gun?”_ Mami yelled.

“Those things are for life-or-death emergencies only,” Kunio said. “We live by our fists.”

With dual groans, Mami and Hasebe clocked Kunio and Riki with the butts of their guns, sending them to the floor unconscious.

Misako’s mental alarms went off. A chance! An opening! Possibly the only one they’d ever have. “You’re gonna wish you saved those bullets in a second,” she said, feeling a fire swelling up from within her, spreading outward—a fire of righteousness, of rage, of long-overdue _justice_.

“Hee hee… yep,” Misako heard a giggling voice breathe beside her. She looked to Kyoko, and Kyoko looked back, as if they were of the same mind… almost suspiciously so. Still, nothing to do but take advantage, Misako figured. She let the anger flow through her, tapping into her adrenaline, tapping into her compassion, her rage, and all of her sadness…

In stereo, Misako and Kyoko screamed, breaking out of their metal bonds in a single flex, sending shrapnel flying to all sides. Once free, they faced their enemies, seething with deep breaths and clenched fists. Mami and Hasebe stepped back.

Kyoko smacked her fist into her palm. “Hee hee. Get 'em?”

Misako did the same. “ _Get 'em._ ”

The next five minutes consisted of a beatdown that even Kunio and Riki, were they conscious, would agree was unlike any they’d seen or taken part in. Feet met teeth, fists met guts, in the wake of Kyoko and Misako’s wrath. Hasebe and Mami’s bodies flew, impacted and bounced off of nearby walls with sickening _crunch_ es, bringing them back for Misako and Kyoko to do everything again once more, but with feeling—and a lot more screams and unavoidable hits.

Eventually, Misako and Kyoko tired enough of their slaughter—one which had left Hasebe and Mami’s faces completely bloodied, and the rest of their bodies in not much better shape. Misako was almost worried about how good that massacre had felt, including the sight in front of her now.

It was pure catharsis—and yet, still, for Hasebe and Mami, defiance to the end. “It doesn’t matter if you beat us up,” Mami said, on her knees and panting. “We’ve still got your boys!”

“Or, should we say, _our_ boys,” Hasebe chimed in.

Misako rolled her eyes. She’d actually forgotten about them in the moment. She took that as a good sign. “That’s the best part of this,” she said. “Somewhere in between getting shot and getting better, we realized something.”

Once more, Misako looked to Kyoko, and Kyoko looked back. The two held hands. “Misako and I…” Kyoko said, “We’re in this for us. We always were.”

Still holding hands, they stepped towards Hasebe and Mami, who scrambled backwards to their feet… then started to run. It took everything Misako had not to laugh out loud as she and Kyoko ran after them, winding back their fists as they did so.

“If this is where boyfriends lead…” Misako growled.

Hasebe and Mami’s flight led them to the penthouse next door. Straight ahead of them was a full-length window, wide and clear enough to allow anyone a fantastic view of River City.

“If _this_ was supposed to be our ‘ending’…” Kyoko continued.

For Hasebe and Mami, however, that window was a dead end. They stopped in their tracks, looking at each other, then at Kyoko and Misako, like cornered deer.

Twin headlights barrelled towards them… then did what came naturally.

“…then _screw that!_ ”

The next thing Hasebe and Mami knew, they no longer had any ground under their feet. Glass splinters flew around them as they sailed through the window, courtesy of twin flying punches. All they could do was scream.

Eventually those screams faded, and there was no more reason to care about them. Misako wiped her hands and scoffed.

“We’ll write our own story.”

* * *

Misako returned to the room behind them, walked over to the boys, knelt down over Kunio, and picked him by the scruff of his neck. There were so many things her anger howled for her to do to him. All of them involved her fists impacting into several parts of his body, some more feasible than others.

And yet, as she stared at his groaning, dented, barely-awake face…

She rolled her eyes, throwing him back down so hard he made a sound against the ground. “If only you knew how pathetic you look right now. God, you’re not even worth it. Maybe…”

She stood up.

“Maybe none of this was.”

She walked over to Kyoko, who was kneeling over a still unconscious Riki. With a sigh, Kyoko rose to her feet as well, and both girls hugged each other tightly.

“Let’s go home?” Kyoko said.

“Yeah,” Misako replied. “Don’t gotta tell me twice.”


	12. Don't Mess With Us

_–Merv’s Burgers–_  
_–River City, Crosstown Area–_

“And then we punched them through a window,” Misako said.

“Whoa,” Yoko said. “No shit?”

“No shit,” Misako said, beaming towards her friend. “That was when we woke up, but I think that dream qualifies as the best part of my entire life so far. I checked with Kyoko, and she dreamed the same thing, too.” Misako took another sip of her vanilla milkshake, then looked across to Marian, who faced Misako from the other side of the booth table. “Naturally, I blame you.”

“You’re welcome,” Marian said.

Misako briefly looked out the window beside her place at the booth, then back in the other direction. She and Noize sat on both sides of Kyoko, while Hibari, Yoko and Marian sat on the other side, respectively. “Sounds like a pretty good dream, though,” Marian continued. “Gonna take it to heart?”

“You betcha,” Kyoko said before Misako could think up an answer. “I _love_ having friends! And also… _best_ friends.” She looked back and forth to Misako and Noize, both of whom shared blushes as the former rolled her eyes, and the latter suddenly found the number of burgers resting on every table in the diner _very_ interesting to count.

“What she said,” Misako said. “Even if we somehow didn’t want to? What choice do we have?” She wrapped an arm around Kyoko’s shoulder. “Everything about that dream just felt _right_. With the boys around, it always felt like we had to prove ourselves. But now that we’ve found our people… now that I’ve found _my_ people…”

“Life’s way more fun now, right?” Kyoko said, kissing Misako on the cheek.

Misako took another sip of her shake to ward off the warmth creeping up from her chin to her forehead. “Basically, yeah. Anyway, we didn’t just call you up here to help us interpret weird dreams.”

“I was wondering about that,” Hibari said. “I was almost about to leave.”

Misako didn’t take the bait. “I brought us here because all of us have strengths and connections. Yoko and Marian, you’ve cornered physical fitness. Heck, Marian’s world-renowned and has total _names_ flocking to her gym. Plus you’re tight with the Lee Brothers.”

Marian crossed her arms behind her head, leaning back. “I am kind of a big deal, I suppose.” Yoko nodded in agreement.

“Nozomi,” Misako said, pointing towards Noize, “you’re literally a rock star. You’ve got connections in the entertainment industry, right?”

“Hells yeah, I am and I do,” Noize said, tipping her sunglasses. “Always will, too, if I have anything to say about it.”

“Hibari, same with you and fashion,” Misako continued. “Clothing districts and city centers swoon at the sound of your name. You can totally go full metropolitan whenever you want.”

Hibari’s grin showed teeth. “Bold of you to assume I haven’t already.”

“Which brings us to me and Kyoko. We’re the chicks who smacked down a yakuza boss, meaning we’ve got more cred on the streets now than Kunio and Riki ever will, and we basically own every school, too. And we’ve got stuff in motion to keep that all in place.”

“But we’re not gonna abuse our power!” Kyoko continued. “We’re going to keep things as fair as possible. We don’t want to hurt people, like Sabu and Sabuko did.” She paused. “Well, any more people.”

“Yep,” Misako said. “We’ve already put the word out: those who are cool with the new direction can stay with us—the rest can try their luck elsewhere.”

“Works for me,” Noize said.

“Okay, so, we’ve got five good-looking friends from all walks of life, and an experienced mentor figure,” Yoko said. “What exactly are you proposing?”

“I mean… I dunno. The obvious, I guess?” Misako looked around. “For now, at least, I think we should just stay close to each other. There’s assholes still out there, but there are other people who’ve been on the wrong side of the tracks and who could use a helping hand.” She cast a side gaze to Marian. "Hell, we might even find other people who’ve lived different, weird lives they never should have.

“Our powers are awesome, and our connections are international. So yeah, I guess I’m proposing we stick together… while taking the world on.” Misako nodded, balling a fist. “Thoughts?”

The other five looked amongst themselves, eventually shifting into their own nods. Noize raised a finger, and opened her mouth, to speak.

Misako cut her off. “Yeah, yeah, dope songs included.”

Noize air-guitared. _“Yes!”_

Marian shrugged. “Guess we’re doing this, then. Well, squad goals are covered. Do we have a squad name?”

Misako waffled. There had been one bouncing around in the back of her head all day which sounded nice to her, but surely only her, and she wasn’t going to chance embarrassing herself—

“The _River City Girls!_ ” Kyoko promptly squealed, causing Misako to near choke on her milkshake.

“ _Oh my god,_ ” Misako sputtered. “You said that way too fast.”

Kyoko giggled. “Just learning to read your mind, I guess.”

Misako rolled her eyes. “Ugh, whatever, fine. Yeah, I was thinking that name too.”

“I don’t hate it,” Marian said with a knowing smile. “I’ve put down roots here already. And hey, who would have thought this tiny little burg that’s nothing but gang fights could be home to one of the world’s greatest forces for good?”

The others nodded, making noises of general agreement. As Todo came by with six slices of cake in all flavors and colors, Misako and Kyoko shared a kiss…

…a kiss which served to remind them both that the world, now and always, was what they made of it.

_~fin~_

_~(…for now?)~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaand it's finally done!  
> ::collapses::  
> There. _Now_ I've gotten my $29.99 worth from this thing. :P 
> 
> **New Game Plus!:**  
>  The "dream" chapters are a homage to the Kunio game Kyoko and Misako last starred in: _[Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-tachi no Banka](https://kuniokun.fandom.com/wiki/Shin_Nekketsu_K%C5%8Dha:_Kunio-tachi_no_Banka)_. In that game, they were in fact K&R's girlfriends, and they also _totally_ [get shot because Something Something Drama](https://youtu.be/2pN1krUCiXc?t=4475) ~~just like in this story~~!
> 
> Until next time! <3  
> 


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